( Laptop ) - It might look like something out of a futuristic Sci-Fi movie, but Toyota's new robotic developments are indeed a reality.
The development of a robot that has the ability to play an instrument along with a robot designed for transportation might seem an unusual combination, but it also illustrates Toyota's engineering prowess. The two bots, conveniently names "Partner robots", have been designed "to support people's everyday life. "Over the next two to three years, we will put the robots to the test through trial applications and see what kind of business possibilities they present," according to President Katsuaki Watanabe. While a violin-playing robot can serenade a group of cafe dining patrons, the much more useful mobility bot can roll on flat or uneven ground, negotiate treacherous terrain, and transport their human masters well into the 21st century.
Toyota plans that the two robots will be entertaining and transporting humans by 2010.