Hitachi's new workmate robot to run errands for us
We all agree, I think, on the fact that we do work and live in a more or less robotic world, so, why not a robot colleague? Advantage of robots innumerable: they are intelligent enough to run errands, guide and take orders, but not too smart to gossip about you? Cool, isn't it? There are various companies that have been involved in making robots that can assist man in a day to day life, not only in heavy machinery tasks.
As a step towards it Hitachi has demonstrated its childlike lightweight robot, aptly named the 'Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate (EMIEW)'. This two-wheeled robot that walks in the same speed as a normal human being (now to make a robot to walk like a man is quite a difficult task) and talks like a boy has been designed with the aim to help people in carrying out simple chores. It even can jump over steps and higher-level entrance. EMIEW 2 is about 80 cm tall and weighs only 29 pounds.
Now, even if the developers claimed that the test runs for EMIEW 2 was absolutely fine, the demonstration wasn't really flawless and the practicality of the use of robots is also questionable. But, the fact that we come one step closer to have robots to carry out tasks and do errands in the office is in fact welcome.
The other two companies that have come up with similar kind of robots are Honda and Sony; robots named as Asimo and Qrio respectively.
Image source: BBC
Source: English
