The holidays are just around the corner, so for those who subscribe to a little late-December consumerism, here are a few ideas for your gift list.
In the steady march of machines that will one day replace us mere humans, the robot vacuum cleaner is becoming increasingly commonplace, and the Cocorobo RX-V60 from Sharp is the latest neat freak to join the ranks. With a diameter of just 29.9 cm, it can circle under chair legs and other tight spaces, offering very thorough cleaning. Its bristle system is specifically designed to get into the tiny spaces typical of Japanese flooring, and is also efficient at picking up hair, and large particles. It can be controlled using on-board buttons, remote control, or by voice, and avoids bumping into things using echolocation, which, as opposed to infrared sensors, is effective at sensing transparent and reflective surfaces. Cocorobo also has five cleaning modes, and a HEPA filter that cleans the room air as it goes. But while the RX-V60 is great at getting into tighter spaces, for a real sense of our future robot masters, you'll need to splurge on the larger 34.6-cm RX-V100, which is equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera, LED light, LAN connectivity and links to an application available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The app allows users to monitor their home remotely as Cocorobo takes a series of four photos, covering a full 360-degree span of a room, or through a live video-stream as the user controls the Cocorobo, allowing you to monitor your home or your pets while you're out of the house. No pets? Cocorobo can fill that need too by coming when it's called and responding to simple greetings. All Cocorobo models come with a "cocoro engine" which apparently lets it express its character through movement and sound based on the state of its battery charge. Sharp intends to create many more appliances with such "emotional intelligence." The RX-V60 will be released Dec. 13, selling for ¥75,000, while the RX-V100 goes for upwards of ¥100,000.