Walking, Talking Female Robot to hit Japan Catwalk
From: ECNmag.com - 03/16/2009

A new walking, talking robot from Japan has a female face that can smile and
has trimmed down to 43 kilograms (95 pounds) to make a debut at a fashion
show. 

Other robots, like the ones from Hiroshi Kobayashi at the Tokyo University of
Science and Hiroshi Ishiguro at Osaka University, have more human-like faces
and have been tested as receptionists. But demands are growing for socially
useful robots, such as ones that can care for the elderly and sick, said
Yoshihiro Kaga, a government official in the trade and industry ministry. 

Read the entire article at:
http://ecnmag.com/article-Walking-talking-female-robot_to-hit-Japan-catwalk-031609.aspx

Links:
Human-like robot smiles, scolds in Japan classroom
http://www.thestate.com/technology/story/711042.html

Land of the rising robot
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/08/09/japan.robots/index.html

Mad scientist creates robot version of himself
http://dvice.com/archives/2006/07/mad_scientist_creates_robot_ve.php

A cyber sensation: World's first robotic model to star in her own fashion show
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1162402/A-cyber-sensation-Worlds-robotic-model-star-fashion-show.html