Baby diaper sellers struggle in Japan, where the country's nose-diving birthrates are unseen outside of nations facing serious threats to health and wellness, such as war or famine. Unfortunately for anyone in the baby business, a new invention from Toyota could replace human babies for childless Japanese men and women — with robots.
Meet Kirobo Mini, a robotic baby simulator that will go on sale for about $392 next year:
The Kirobo Mini blinks and speaks in a baby-voice, and even comes with a cradle that can convert into a car seat. "He wobbles a bit, and this is meant to emulate a seated baby, which hasn't fully developed the skills to balance itself," the robot's chief engineer, Fuminori Kataoka, told Reuters. "This vulnerability is meant to invoke an emotional connection."
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Admittedly, Kirobo Mini doesn't look a whole lot like a human baby and is much smaller in size, at only four inches tall. But it is designed to integrate into owners' lives using a camera, microphone, Bluetooth, and connection to one's smartphone.
"Toyota has been making cars that have a lot of valuable uses," Kataoka said. "But this time we're just pushing emotional value."
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