Humanoids with Attitude
From: Washington Post - 03/11/2005 - P. A1
By: Anthony Faiola and Akiko Yamamoto

Analysts call Japan a world leader in the application of artificial
intelligence to everyday life, a reputation that is being cemented by the
many sophisticated robots employed in the country as security guards,
receptionists, guides, pets, and hospital workers, among other things. Though
the level of AI technology advancement in the United States is perhaps equal
to Japan's, American AI research efforts mainly focus on military
applications, while the bulk of Japanese efforts are directed at consumer
applications. This trend is being driven by a number of things, including
concerns about a future shortage of factory workers due to depopulation, and
young people becoming less inclined to accept hazardous, dirty, or physically
rigorous work. Robotic solutions being considered or deployed in this vein
include a line of versatile worker robots with human-like hands envisioned by
Toyota, and cyber-security guards from Alsok that use sensors and paint guns
to detect and stop intruders. The sensor-equipped Paro robotic baby harp
seal, designed as a therapeutic toy for the elderly, can recognize the voice
and hand gestures of its owner and respond with soothing sounds and
movements. Even more advanced is a robot receptionist at the Tokyo University
of Science that can perform 700 verbal responses using voice recognition, and
express emotions facially. ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication
Laboratories director Norihiro Hagita says the Japanese are more accepting of
humanoid robots than Westerners partly because a precept of the Shinto
religion is the presence of gods within all things, whereas most people in
Western countries subscribe to monotheism. A January report compiled by
Japanese officials forecasts that there will be a robot in each Japanese
household by 2015 or earlier. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25394-2005Mar10.html

Links:
Meet Paro, the therapeutic robot seal
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/11/20/comdex.bestof/

Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories
http://www.irc.atr.co.jp/index.html

Norihiro Hagita
http://www.irc.atr.jp/hagita/hagita.html