Hitachi’s Talking Robot

Shiny Shiny: Remember those Tiny Tots talking dolls your big sister had as a child? Well Hitachi has taken a leaf out of their design book and delivered a talkative new robot Emiew, which will be displayed starting June 9 at the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan.
Apparently the robot can chat to anyone within a distance of about 1 metre after determining their location by seeing their face with a visual sensor and hearing their voice through an audio sensor. The 130cm-tall, 70kg robot is equipped with wheels allowing it to walk at a speed of 6km an hour, about the same pace as a person walking fast.
Hitachi isn’t saying anything about its vocabulary yet but we reckon it might just be a little more comprehensive than Tiny Tots repertoire of’ feed me’, ‘change my nappy’, ‘piss off down Baby Gap and buy me loads of designer tops you cheapskate.’
Hitachi’s Talking Robot [Shiny Shiny]