TOKYO (Reuters) - Need temporary help on your company's reception
desk? One Japanese employment agency is suggesting you try
recruiting a robot.
For just under 50,000 yen (240 pounds) a month, a fraction of the
cost of a human temp, the PeopleStaff agency will despatch Hello
Kitty Robo, a robotic receptionist capable of sensing a visitor's
presence, greeting him or her and holding simple
conversations.
The Nagoya-based agency is also offering the services of Ifbot, an
elderly-care robot that chats and poses riddles and arithmetical
problems to train the brain and help avoid dementia. Spaceman-like
Ifbot, which also quizzes people about their health, is aimed at
hospitals and old peoples' homes.
A spokeswoman for PeopleStaff said it would cost more than 300,000
yen a month to employ a person for this type of work, but warned
that the robots were not capable of doing everything human
employees can do.
Taken from:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060126/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_japan_robot;_ylt=AsGsVsUu6vujpdT6Mr9g1xjtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
And Bear aways said Hello Kitty is
evil 
