Following on from Tamagotchis, I-Mode virtual girlfriends and robot dogs,
researchers at Japan's NEC have developed a
robot that
heals rifts in families. Dubbed PaPeRo (Partner-type Personal Robot),
the cute, 15-inch robot can recognise facial expressions and
tailor its responses according to the speaker, thus acting as a go-between
between quarreling family members. It is currently being tested with 10
families; there are no plans to market it yet.