The Electric Grandmother takes shape (see link for article)

[gategrrl]

 I have a far-reaching, well-read flist, so I won't be surprised if some of you have heard of this already - in Fukuoka, Japan (on the large island just below the main one in the Japanese archipeligo) there's a department store with plans to have a robotic babysitter take care of children while the parents are off shopping. The article briefly mentions the falling population in Japan, and how robots are going to become receptionists, security guards, and other drab jobs, so the kids might as well get used to seeing these faux hominids now.

It's a really loaded article, really, because it's about much more than the actual robot: it addresses the lower Japanese birthrate; the increased lack of young people willing to take crappy jobs; the increased dearth of young *women* who prefer to travel, have fun, and don't want to be relegated to crappy careers; and the resistance of Japan to allow naturalization or workers into their country. There are probably some other issues connected with that, seeing as how there are still some issues left over from WW2 and those other countries. 

Would I want a robot like the one in the article's picture looking after MY kid? Um...I don't think so - my kids are live-wires. It's a miracle to get them to sit still. The only robotic-ish thing they sit still for is the Nintendo DS and SuperMario and Brainage 2. Now, if it were like the Electric Grandmother in Ray Bradbury's story of the same name, heck yes! But more in the capacity of a babysitter than a nanny.

I wouldn't mind a robot that would walk the dog. Or...paint the house, or mow the lawn and cut the shrubs and  prune the trees. THAT would be excellent.

Comments

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there's a human nearby to keep an eye out on the robot and the children. By no means do I think all Japanese mothers are a-okay with an arrangement like this (it sounds more like a novelty, honestly).

I hope that the robot is in a corral with fencing. And, as low as the crime rate apparently is in Japan, the thought of someone walking off with Junior is panic inducing!

[sars.livejournal.com]

It'd have to be monitored by a video feed, surely, but then why not just employ a childcare worker?

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was what I was wondering - are they monitoring the machine? And if so...your question.