I'll take your Roomba and raise you

[debgeisler]

Pink Tentacle shows this almost too-cute cleaning 'bot, unveiled in Japan today. Cute, efficient, and destined for public restrooms in western Japan:

The 1-meter (39-inch) tall, 1.35-meter (53-inch) long prototype robot — named “Lady Bird” — is equipped with water tanks, brushes and other tools needed for heavy-duty scrubbing. Obstacle detection sensors allow the robot to safely perform its duties without running into people.

In addition to cleaning, Lady Bird can engage in simple conversation with restroom users, thanks to microphones in its “antennae,” speech recognition capabilities and a voice synthesizer. The robot has access to the latest information about traffic conditions on nearby roads, which it can relay to anyone comfortable enough to ask.

Talk to the ladybug.