Japanese Robot Knows Words, Can House-Sit

"A child-shaped humanoid robot that can recognize about 10,000 words and work as a house sitter will go on sale in Japan in September.

The "Wakamaru" robot can recognize the faces of up to 10 people and talk to them. When linked to mobile phones, it can also work as a monitor to check situations at home, such as a burglary or someone falling ill, Mitsubishi-Heavy Industries Ltd. said in a statement Monday.

Mitsubishi-Heavy said it would be the first time a robot with communication ability for home use has been sold."

Yahoo.