Toyota Wants to Put Robot Friends With Seniors

Toyota envisions robots becoming commonplace in homes as companions to seniors, reports Bloomberg , as part of its new artificial intelligence (AI) research center headed by renowned inventor Gill Pratt. Toyota believes the pressing need for senior care will make robots more attractive, and its Human Support Robot (HSR) could be one of the first products to gain mainstream acceptance. The HSR is essentially a retractable arm on wheels, with a video screen on top and camera eyes to give it the semblance of a face. Among its demonstrated capabilities is learning where books and other items should go on a shelf, and cleaning untidy rooms using sensor-eyes and a pincer. Toyota's Masanori Sugiyama said the HSR could be ready for deployment first in hospitals and assisted living communities to perform simple tasks within several years.