Article in the SMH reporting on how on Japanese employment agency will send out a Hello Kitty Robo 'temp' for under $A580 a month. This robotic receptionist is "capable of sensing a visitor's presence, greeting him or her and holding simple conversations..."
"In an unrelated robotic development, Sony announced that is was pulling the plug on its robotic dog AIBO this week in a restructuring bid aimed at revive the fortunes of its robotic development unit.
The robot, which retails for about $2650, uses artificial intelligence to entertain and communicate with its owner. It can dance, play music, respond to commands, talk and create its own blog entries that can be transferred online.
Sony said production of the robotic pooch would cease in March and AIBO enthusiasts expressed their sadness on a number of related forums."
W: http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking/robot-for-hire/2006/01/27/1138319422806.html
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