Tokyo — A child-shaped humanoid robot that can recognize about 10,000 words and work as a house sitter will go on sale in Japan in September.
The Wakamaru robot can recognize the faces of up to 10 people and talk to them. When linked to mobile phones, it can also work as a monitor to check situations at home, such as a burglary or someone falling ill, Mitsubishi-Heavy Industries Ltd. said in a statement Monday.
Mitsubishi-Heavy said it would be the first time a robot with communication ability for home use has been sold.
“This is the opening of an era in which human beings and robots can coexist,” it said.
Mitsubishi-Heavy said it will start taking orders for Wakamaru from Sept. 16, and plans to sell 100 of the one-metre-tall, 30-kilogram robots at the equivalent of $14,300 (U.S.) for residents in central Tokyo.
