Prognosis
Toyota Wants to Put a Robot Friend in Every Home
- Automaker sees robots offering help, companionship to seniors
- Prototypes show promise. Commercialization is another matter
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Toyota Motor Corp. has sold enough cars to put one outside every Japanese home. Now it wants to put robots inside.
Well-known for its automated assembly lines, Toyota sees a not-so-far-off future in which robots transcend the factory and become commonplace in homes, helping with chores -- and even offering companionship -- in an aging society where a quarter of the population is over 65 and millions of seniors live alone.