Japan's NTT to put home care robot's in the homes of the elderly

Japan has toyed with the idea of bringing robots into the home to care for its elderly for years, but the idea is finally moving from speculation to reality

NTT, Japan's largest telecommunications company, will begin placing tiny communication robots in the homes of some older Japanese citizens

In some ways, NTT's robot launch seems to be an answer to Softbank's (a rival Japanese telecom company) Pepper robot, which went on sale in June

Although not as mobile as Softbank's Pepper robot, the Sota is cheaper (about $800, plus a monthly service of around $30 for home use) and much smaller (just 11 inches tall), two major advantages considering the fact that many Japanese homes tend to be smaller and have tricky flooring for a rolling robot (e.g. tatami mat flooring) Read more...