Talking robot of cartoon fame becomes reality

Tokyo - Doraemon, a hugely popular robot cat Japanese cartoon character also known as Ding-dong, will be a step closer to reality in March when Japan's biggest toymaker makes a talking version of it the latest addition to its line-up of high-tech playthings.

Bandai Co. Ltd., which scored a world smash hit in 1996-1997 with its "Tamagotchi" egg-shaped virtual pets that required constant care, will start selling "Doraemon the Robot" in Japan in late March for 19,800 yen (186 dollars) each.

The robot, made of plastic and equipped with more than 10 sensors, has a vocabulary of 750 phrases to respond to questions or being touched.

The 26.5-centimere (10.6 inch) tall robot says "it hurts" when hit on the head, or "help me" when it topples over.

It can also express its "emotions" such as "I feel great today" or "I'm irritable" and be programmed to voice birthday greetings.

Bandai aims to sell 5,000 units of the entertainment robot by the end of the year. The Tokyo company has no plans for overseas sales yet.

Doraemon was originally created in 1969-1970 as a 'manga' comic strip character by Hiroshi Fujimoto and his collaborator Abiko Motoo.

The animated cartoon version has been aired in 15 countries since the first version appeared in 1979.

The robot, whose birth date was set in the future in 2112, came back to the present to help a boy, Nobita, by producing miraculous futuristic gadgets from a "four-dimensional" pouch on his belly.

As an easy-going friend and saviour, Doraemon has become a hero for almost every child in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, as familiar and well-loved as Mickey Mouse or Snoopy.

Bandai spent more than 100 million yen (943,400 dollars) on developing the robot toy and is aiming to launch a more advanced version in 2010.

"Companies like Sony and Honda have launched robots ... but Bandai's robot project is a bit different as it puts an emphasis on softer aspects," said Ayumi Mitsui at the company's New Business Office.

"We want to pursue things like robots living together with human beings, communicating and making friends," she in an interview with AFP.

Last December, Sony unveiled the world's first "running" robot QRIO, a non-commercial project as it works on perfecting human-like movement, while Honda introduced ASIMO, the world's first walking humanoid robot, which is used mainly as a promotional tool, in 2000.

In 2002, rival toymaker Takara started selling the FII-RII robot that performs functions such as turning on video recorders and taking digital photographs for absent owners, rather than providing a source of entertainment and company.

Bandai started receiving inquiries about the robot as soon as it announced the sales plan, including from three women in their 80s, Mitsui said.

Bandai has already been exploring the market for robot dolls that offer comfort by talking to their owners.

It launched talking Puel dolls in 1999, which won a wide range of customers from elementary school pupils to people in their 60s and 70s. Bandai has sold 800,000 Puel dolls in Japan over the past four years. -- AFP News

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