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Robots that can chat, find misplaced
glasses, draw airplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of
visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society.
Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit,
answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight
loneliness and stay alert (机警的) in old
age. "Many old people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,"
said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organizer. "Communication
robots stay together with old people and don't mind listening to the same
stories over and over again."
While Chapit, a relatively simple robot,
managed to attract a partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a
professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more
expensive projects.
Matsumoto's "Personal Mobility Robot",
equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity,
is designed to help the elderly move around without pressing buttons as in
traditional wheelchairs.
The robot can also help find misplaced
glasses by recognizing them with a sensor. "We have developed a robot that
can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven't found a
sponsor," said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if
produced in large quantities, would be comparable to that of a small car. "In
the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest (投资) in such a costly project," he said.
Other robots, such as the award-winning "DiGRO",
can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. The
robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures,
looking after children while parents work.
Japan is one of the world's fastest-aging
countries and the government predicts that by 2050 the population of people
over 65 will reach 40 percent.