The Mitsukoshi department store brought on Toshiba’s Chihara Aico as a temporary receptionist last month to test out her in-development voice recognition software. While she isn’t as advanced as some of her other employed robot peers, Toshiba is taking Aico on the road to promote her capabilities to businesses.
Toshiba has plans to expand its robotics business outside of customer service and into healthcare, especially as companions for Japan’s aging population. The company hopes to see more of its robots at work by the year 2020.
More from Anime News Network
Humanoid robot that can laugh developed in Japan, other functions include freaking people out【Vid】
Young and elderly alike can satisfy their feline frenzy with this $180 cat robot companion
DMM to release Premaid AI, programmable idol robots that dance however you want【Video】
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Game’s 3rd TV Ad Streamed
REVIEW: Sony’s new tablet is thinner and lighter than the iPad Air, and Android fans will love it
Gigantic super-affordable Sailor Moon lifestyle line comes to Japan’s favorite 300 yen shop【Pics】
Onitsuka Tiger now sells Shinkansen sneakers that cost more than a trip on the bullet train
Street Fighter cafe now open in Tokyo for fans hyped and hungry for SF6 launch/lunches
Smartphone-abstinence cocktail created by Japanese restaurant to put focus on friends over phones
Three drinks you should try at Starbucks right now, according to staff who work there
What it’s like to live in Tokyo’s least safe neighbourhood
Noodle joint in Harajuku becomes a hot topic with foreigners on Reddit, but is it any good?
Our street food-skipping reporter learns he’s been doing Japanese festivals wrong his whole life
Shakey’s American Pizza Tour totally ruins our Japanese reporter
We eat a luxurious Japanese-style buffet breakfast in a restaurant full of wood-carved bears
Five things you should eat at Muji Japan, according to staff who work there
Studio Ghibli’s truck from My Neighbour Totoro now available as die-cast Takara Tomy car
A taste of Japanese curry usually only sold overseas, at Tokyo’s Curry House CoCo Ichibanya World
Japan super budget dining – What’s the best way to spend 1,000 yen at 7-Eleven?
Eel vendor in Asakusa becomes a hot topic with foreigners on Reddit, but is it any good?
Pop that whole onion in the microwave! 7-Eleven Japan supermarket sister’s Butter-Pom Onion recipe
More than a capsule hotel, downtown Tokyo capsule ryokan is awesome, budget-friendly spot to stay
Ramen and girls bar: Where you can talk to women who aren’t dressed like hosts or maids
Hey, Thai tuk-tuk driver! Take us to the best Thai restaurant in this part of Bangkok!
Studio Ghibli now sells plush toys seen on Howl’s bed from Howl’s Moving Castle
How do you split two apples for three people using one knife? Japanese Twitter’s violent ideas
Uniqlo teams up with shojo manga/anime masters Clamp for new World of Clamp T-shirt line【Pics】
Japanese outdoor brand Foxfire teams up with Totoro for cool clothing and accessory line
New Ghibli T-shirts give you anime style with short sleeves from Spirited Away, Totoro, and more
Beautiful Violet Evergarden anime skirts going on sale in Japan【Photos】
World’s largest Kura Sushi revolving sushi restaurant opens, but not in Japan【Video】
Clever Cup Noodle-only measuring cup becomes instant ramen lovers’ new most-wanted kitchenware
Japanese police make first-ever YouTuber arrest for uploading video game gameplay videos
Manga artist wants Japanese teachers to feel, for two seconds, how dumb their girls’ dress code is
Sony’s wearable air conditioners selling like cold cakes in heat-stricken Japan
Travelling to Japan soon? Beware the “Three Small Hells” awaiting tourists upon arrival
Japan ends travel ban on individual tourists, waives visa requirements for certain countries
One Piece’s Luffy spent years of manga’s publication without saying a word to one of his nakama
Pokémon Center apologizes for writing model Nicole Fujita’s name as Nicole Fujita
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Image-generating AI’s picture of “Final Fantasy VII Cloud” is so wrong, yet so right
New Studio Ghibli humidifiers breathe anime magic into your home
Message to foreigners at Japanese convenience store sparks controversy online
Soft serve ice cream robots create the perfect cone in under 40 seconds【Video】
‘Momoiro Clover Z vs. KISS’ full musicvideo features Sushio’s animation
Nagoya store’s lanky mannequin gets Naruto makeover
A Silent Voice, Masako Nozawa, Makoto Shinkai win Japan Movie Critics Awards
Meet Qoobo, the cushion-shaped therapy robot with a moving tail!【Pics, Videos】
Interactive android helps visitors in three languages at information desk in Japanese mall
Bandai to release super-mega-retro-robot made up of Doraemon and friends
Love doll funeral service in Japan helps silicone lovers rest in peace
Electronic grandchild “Ami-chan” developed by Takara Tomy
Evangelion chocolates: The Valentine’s Day gift with serious visual impact
Net users duke it out over whether Jia Jia, China’s beautiful android, is the fairest of them all
Beautiful new Levistone from Ghibli’s Laputa anime going on sale soon, so order yours ASAP【Video】
Ghibli’s new Princess Kaguya trailer previews English dub
Special My Neighbor Totoro bag collection soon to be available for limited time only
Japanese Americans tell STORIES FROM TOHOKU
The PS4 is selling like hot cakes all over the world…except in Japan. But why?
Get your beer in artistic cans featuring work by ukiyoe master Hiroshige!
Leave a Reply