Anyone can make a robot to take care of children. After all, they're small and easily entertained. But researchers in Japan have created a bot to take on the more challenging task of caring for the world's aging population. RI-MAN is a 5-foot-tall, 220-pound caregiver covered in soft silicon, which lets it carry a person without causing injury. Built-in sensors detect a person's body position and weight, so the robot can figure out how best to lift them. At the moment, RI-MAN can only carry a 26-pound doll, but could be capable of lifting a 150-pound person within five years.
[Via Yahoo]
