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© Thomson Reuters 2020.Robots on hand to greet coronavirus patients in hotels
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© Thomson Reuters 2020.
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HBJ
I hope this is a translation mistake rather than the actual language chosen. How on earth does a robot ‘pray’?
In my opinion, if we are going to make robots more visible in our societies, we shouldn’t really be pre programming them with religious based messages.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Well that it, I’m sure everyone will feel so much better being greeted by a tablet with eyes, WTF!
lucabrasi
@HBJ
I assume it said some variation on “oinoriitashimasu”.
”Inoru” can be just as easily translated as “wish”, or “hope”. Religion isn’t implied.
Then again, you have to wonder how a robot can hope.... ; )
TokyoTelegraph
Just what I was looking forward too!
ifd66
This is why Japan is way behind with important technology - online banking, education, business - their pre-occupation in what are mostly cute useless robots.
Looks like there is one Robot to greet, and 3 staff to take care of the Robot.
n1k1
Isn't AI just another way to say it works sometimes ?
The greeting bit , I can't care less. The cleaning tho worries me a bit.
drlucifer
An article here on JT two weeks ago stated the government had secured 200,000 hotel beds. So which figure should we believe.
Ta
Pepper should have a function to disinfect his i-pad by himself.
vanityofvanities
Society will make a big change. Even the coronavirus subsides, people will remain very cautious about the infectious diseases and social distancing will continue. Economy will not recover soon.
Kitchener Leslie
That robot has more masks than I do.
Cameron
This is really what Japan needs right now... (Insert sarcasm)
Out of all OECD countries, Japan is performing the 2nd least amount of tests for the virus.... But we have robots in our hospitals!
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/these-are-the-oecd-countries-testing-most-for-covid-19/
Hung Nguyen
I hope that no enthusiastic patient would take Pepper home after recovery.
Spitfire
that robot looks pretty cute especially for a gimmick.
the robot vacuum cleaners are awesome though.
Strangerland
Well, the language would have been chosen by a human, the robot is just a vessel of transport for the words.
That said, it appears the robot says 一日も早い回復を願っています (Link: https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200501-00000065-jij-pol), which uses the word 願っています (ねがっています negatteimasu) which in turn comes from the verb 願う - to pray - but as a colloquialism is more akin to hoping rather than praying.
smithinjapan
One of these units costs about one year's salary for a human being, plus they break down, are annoying as hell, and will carry the virus on their surfaces longer if someone sneezes or coughs on them, which people are FAR more likely to do than on another person, since the robots can't clean themselves.
Another Koike waste of time and money.
sf2k
so a preprogrammed bot without ability to think for itself. Have we got a vacation for you! You...you...you...
Goodlucktoyou
There is one of them at my mother in laws care home. It really hates me. I didn’t think a robot could have such an emotion, but I swear it doesn’t like me at all.
Dan Lavender
robots ~ zzzzz
Luddite
Ridiculous.
gogogo
I can't believe they wrote this like no one in Japan knows who pepper is
serendipitous1
'Let's join our hearts......' seems like a dodgy translation.
oldman_13
Nice but dumb
noriahojanen
Robots would be able to dominate businesses requiring basic physical contacts with many unknown people.
carpslidy
I guess that solves everything then
secretsquirrel
I propose Pepper for PM.
they had robots on hand to show spectators to their seats for the Olympics but still insist on using fax.
what a country of contradictions.
I was using fax in 1970.
why are they called “lawmakers” they only make suggestions
Paul14
Pepper the robot is annoying as possible. Much better to be greeted by a live human medical expert.
Goodlucktoyou
Easy to sneak out.
Mike James
I have a robot at home already who is even colder than this one. But this one has an off switch which makes it a tad more bearable, but not by much.
I travel and enjoying staying at a hotel to get away, and have a human touch and be treated well, not have to deal with another robot or automatic check in. The hotels are trying to make things cute but the real reason is cost reductions for already low paid hotel employees. These robots will allow the hotel to let the doc and the more expensive nurse go home early. Charge me a little more and I'll take the human please. Let the robot 'clean the hot spots' and stay far away from me.
cx@vanityofvanities: "Society will make a big change. Even the coronavirus subsides, people will remain very cautious about the infectious diseases and social distancing will continue." I disagree, society will just learn to use a Kleenex, use hand sanitizer and wash their hands. We will be out in force on Day One.
JK
Why these people don't go home to recover? They could monitored with phone calls if needed.