Business Design Laboratory Co, a Nagoya-based high-tech venture business, said Wednesday it has developed a 45-cm-tall "cuddling robot" for elderly people which is capable of conversing with them by using tens of thousands of input dialogue patterns.
If a person talks to the "ifbot" by saying, "Today, I'm in bad health," it responds with, "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?" The robot can put riddles to the elderly and play a quiz game, while always using respectful expressions in Japanese. It costs 604,800 yen.
A little sad, a little scary. But what're you gonna do in a country that will soon be overrun by geriatrics? I liked this comment by 'Sevenstars' in the discussion section:
ELDERLY PERSON: "Ifbot-san, I'm so lonely. My daughter never comes to visit me."
IFBOT: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?"
ELDERLY PERSON: "I had ason, but he killed himself. Shouganai neh."*
IFBOT: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?"
ELDERLY PERSON: "My pension is worthless. How will I ever survive in this cruel world, alone and unloved?"
IFBOT: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?"
ELDERLY PERSON: "I spent my last 600,000 yen on you!"
IFBOT: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?"
*Shouganai, neh in this case may be translated as 'oh well.'
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