| on 31-03-2007 15:56 |
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Voice-recognition robot entertains as domestic slave
Japanese firm RayTron
isn’t one we’ve heard much about but that could change if its domestic
robot, cutely named Chapit, gets to take over the nation’s home
entertainments as planned.
The ¥200,000 droid should be available to buy next year but is
already on view in a showroom at a high-tech model housing development
called Napia in Osaka.
Rather than showing off like one of those attention-seeking somersaulting robots,
Chapit limits itself to sitting still and listening carefully. That’s
because the machine’s mission in (virtual) life is to hook up to
domestic electronics, including TV, video players, internet
connections, lights and even heating, to act as a voice-controlled
interface for the residents of the house.
Demonstrations have already shown the robot switching TV channels,
dimming lights and setting up videophone calls in response to the
spoken commands of couch-potato users.
RayTron says it hopes to have Chapit recognising up to 10,000 words
by the time it’s ready for market. Sadly, for anyone outside the
company’s homeland, those words are likely to be only in Japanese.
Recommend this article... Last update: 31-03-2007 15:56
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