Take a look at the video to see what kind of robot ¥400 million ($3.3 million) will buy you. The short answer? A very cool robot. The longer answer? A robot which will eventually replace many manual jobs performed by humans today.
Yes. We know that Science Fiction has been promising us robot servants to free us from our daily chores, but in reality that has already happened, albeit stealthily. Specialized machines wash our clothes, build our cars and even vacuum our houses. The HRP-3 Promet Mk-II from Kawada Industries is just the next step, a more flexible, multi-tasking robot (to a Roomba as a modern PC is to a pocket calculator).
So what does it do? Well, the 1.6 meter (5' 3"), 68 kg (150 lb) android can either work autonomously or via remote control. He (she? it?) can handle rain, slippery surfaces and in the video below can be seen standing up to the shoves of a (admittedly rather weedy looking) scientist. HRP-3 can also use tools, pausing on his rounds to tighten a quick bolt. He even drops his tools to the ground before walking away, suggesting that they have made this closer to a real human builder than ever before.
Perhaps he will also claim to have "lent my tools to my brother-in-law" or disappear early to the pub on Fridays.
Enjoy the video. Especially the Señor Coconut Kraftwerk cover.
Press release [AIST- Japanese via Pink Tentacle]
