Japanese robot manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced that its humanoid communication robot Wakamaru is now available for rent. Wakamaru has vision, auditory and touch sensors and was launched last year. The rental project is aimed at businesses, hospitals and events, where the robot can be used as receptionist or guide. Wakamaru understands about 10,000 japanese words, can retrieve information or emails from the Net with its wireless LAN link.
The daily rental fee varies according to the lease length. For a lease of 1-5 days, it's 120,000 yen ($970), while 21-30 days is only 20,000 yen ($160). Shipping and management charges extra. The rentals will come with touch panels that can display venue maps and other info.
