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Japan’s ageing population can now look forward to cosy fireside chats with
robotic pets. Tama the cat uses voice recognition software to reply to greetings
from its owner, and when touched can respond with up to 50 phrases. “We didn’t
design this to entertain, but to fulfil a social need,” says Akira Kadota of
Matsushita. Interaction between a person and the robot can be remotely
monitored: a nearby hospital or a relative can access information stored inside
Tama and note any unusual activity, such as a lack of recent contact with its
owner. Kadota says Matsushita may even equip Tama with a camera to improve
remote monitoring.