Robot receptionists

Would you like to be greeted at an office by one of these?


Apparently these Mitsubishi-made robots, called Wakamaru, are being hired out as receptionists in Japan for $1,000 U.S. a day or $25,000 a year.

According to Gizmodo:

It turns out these goofy-looking yellow droids are pretty good at the job, recognizing faces and even chatting it up with the customers, using their 10,000-word vocabulary to amaze and entertain, and possibly annoy.

Standing a childlike 3’3″ tall and weighing 66 pounds, the robots cut a decidedly non-imposing figure, flashing a dorky-looking expression and generally doing nonthreatening things.

Maybe. But when I showed the picture above to my six-year-old and asked her how she’d like to be greeted by one of these things, her response was an emphatic, “No way!”

Everyday robots will obviously take some getting used to.

Permanent link to this article: https://edwardwillett.com/2007/07/robot-receptionists/

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