Worried about leaving your house empty while on holiday? Japan has the answer: a robot house-sitter.

    Roborior is a watermelon-sized eyeball on wheels which glows purple, blue and orange and is armed with a digital camera, infrared¹ sensors² and a videophone.

    When not on duty, Roborior can function as interior decor. But in its owner's absence, it is a virtual guard dog - detecting break-ins using infrared sensors, calling its master or mistress on their cellular³ phone, and sending cell phone videos from its digital camera. The robot went on display in half a dozen shops this week to much interest, but since supplies are limited many more shops are having to take orders.

    "We've had robots before that were just toys, but the Roborior can actually be put to practical use in the home," said Takako Sakataof the department store chain Takashimaya.

    Takashimaya will sell the machines, developed by Japanese robot maker⁴ Tmsuk and Sanyo, for ?1,400 each. "We received a lot of inquiries," Ms Sakata said. "Our initial plan is to sell 2,000."

你是否常为度假在外无人看家而忧心忡忡？现在，日本研制成功的看门机器人能为你解除后顾之忧。

    据《卫报》8月20日报道，这款看门机器人名叫罗伯丽娅。它看起来像一只眼球，高26厘米，仅重3.25公斤，底座不时发出红、蓝、黄光。罗伯丽娅身上被安装有数码相机、红外线感应器和视频电话。

    当它通过红外线感应器发现有可疑人物闯入家中时，就会拨通主人的电话，并用数码相机拍摄下可疑人物活动的画面传到主人的可视电话上。同时，外出的主人也可以通过手机遥控指挥罗伯丽娅在家中四处“巡视”，甚至“拜托”它把家里孩子和宠物的照片传过来看看。

    报道说，这款由日本Tmsuk机器人制造商和三洋电子公司联合推出的看门机器人目前市场售价高达28万日元（约合2600美元）。本周，它开始在日本五六家商场进行展出，并吸引了大量的顾客订货。日本百货龙头高岛屋的发言人表示：“以前，我们的家用机器人仅仅是玩具而已，但罗伯丽娅是一款实用型的家庭机器人。”据高岛屋发言人介绍，展出后已经收到大批订单，商场预计首批能售出2000个。