| on 31-03-2007 17:14 |
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The robot takeover starts here with Alsok's guard droid
Alsok’s Reborg-Q is one of the most practically useful robots to emerge yet
Many
of the robots we get to see outside car factories here in Japan are
basically little more than proof-of-concept devices or toys and really
aren’t that useful, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see Alsok’s newest tin man being put to good use guarding a real building in Tokyo.
The Reborg-Q went to work today in an upmarket residential and shopping complex known as Aquacity,
where – for a rental fee/salary of ¥380,000 (£1,690) a month – he’ll
patrol the halls of the building, carrying out some pretty
sophisticated tasks.
The 130cm robot, based on Alsok’s previous Guard Robot
model, makes automated rounds of the complex following a pre-planned
route but does have an array of sensors to deviate when necessary. One
such example is when the fire sensor raises suspicions that require
closer inspection.
At that time, the robot moves in to see
what’s going on, relaying images by Wi-Fi back to a desk operator, who
can then engage remote control via a joystick as needed or call for
help.
Robotic workforce in the future?
Other
functions are too numerous to detail, but include the ability to act as
an information point connecting guests to operators by video-phone, to
deal with broken elevators, to recognise lost children from a database
and verify employee ID using an RFID card reader.
Incidentally,
the leasing fee has been set quite a chunk lower than the typical
unskilled monthly wage in Tokyo. Could that provide a clue as to the
Brave New World of mechanised staff that lies ahead?
Last update: 31-03-2007 17:14
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