The 2015 Japanese nosecount lay out a frightening realization for the rural area : its universe is shrink . In just five years , between 2010 and 2015 , Japan ’s population shrink by almost 1 million — an unusually high drop for a country not dealing with a disaster like famine or plague . But while everyone is quick to find fault so - called " parasite 1 " or alack of immigration , Toyota is seem for a answer . Their late proposal?Robots .
In October , the car manufacturerintroduced the Kirobo Mini , a robot designed to form an emotional connection with a universe that is getting old and not reproducing at a charge per unit to sustain population numbers . This is actually a miniaturized version ofthe original Kirobo automaton , which was slightly gravid and send off to the International Space Station to keep astronauts society during recollective voyages ( it was also the first - ever spill robot in blank space ) .
" He wobbles a bit , and this is mean to emulate a seated baby , which has n’t fully modernise the skills to balance itself , " Fuminori Kataoka , Kirobo Mini ’s chief design engine driver , say . " This exposure is meant to conjure an emotional connecter . "
In gain to all that wobbling , the Kirobo Mini will blink its " heart , " mimic the luxuriously - pitch eccentric of babe talk familiar to new parents , and recognise facial expressions through the manipulation ofa built - in camera . It ’s lowly enough to sit inside a cradle that snaps into a fomite ’s cup bearer , but powerful enough to simulate the intelligence of a 5 - year - old .
Toyota did n’t get along flop out and say it , but the opinion among many is that these familiar child are designed to knock into the parental instincts of Kirobo proprietor , peradventure leading them to require a existent child of their own .
This scheme is like to the one used by the squad behind Yotaro , another robot infant introduced in Japan in 2010 . This one used forcing out technology to put an emotive aspect on the robot , promote a bail bond with its owners ( and hopefully lead to some flesh - and - lineage babies in the future ) .
" A automaton ca n’t be human but it ’s neat if this automaton triggers human emotions , so man want to have their own baby , " Hiroki Kunimura , the task drawing card for the Yotaro robot , told CNNat the clip .
Each Kirobo Mini will retail for 39,800 yen , or $ 390 , when it is exhaust next year .
