In Japan, we like to have real live people sitting in Information Counters everywhere lots of people go: like in department stores, train stations and so forth. It's better than just giving people maps because Japan is not a self-service type of culture.

But we also want to perfect robots for consumer and domestic uses, just the way we implemented them into industries in past decades. So here's one of the latest models testing now in Japan: Actroid. (The name is a cross between Actress and Android.)

She's very pretty, and speaks quite well, blinks, turns her head, uses her hands to gesture and so on. I don't think Actroid is perfect yet. She still moves a little like the old Disney characters at the Meet Mr. Lincoln exhibit. But she's getting there!

Click here if you want to see a video of Actroid in action. There are several linked to the creator's site. All of them are different. Try one: http://www.kokoro-dreams.co.jp/moviej.html

UPDATE: Here's another more interesting video about Actroid (in English) from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0331_060331_robot_video.html