NAGOYA, Japan, March 8 (UPI) -- Robots that play with children and show directions will appear at Japan's Aichi Exposition 2005 later this month, Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday.
Robot maker New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, previewed about 20 of its models Monday at the event's Nagakute site. NEDO plans to show approximately 100 robots at the international exposition which opens March 25.
One of them, the Wakamaru, can show directions by moving its arms and can give explanations over the phone in Japanese, English and two other languages, officials said.
The PaPeRo is a "child-care robot" that can dance with children and express joy using sounds and light.
"We want to test how our robots can cooperate with humans during the exposition," said Tetsuya Yamamoto, head of NEDO's machinery development section.
NEDO predicted that 39 of the robots would be available to the general public by 2010.
