"Romeo" Robot Aims To Be Helpful, Is Creepy

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But how sweet is the latest advancement in personal caretaking robots? This creation, known affectionately as Romeo, says he will functional enough to assist humans with their chores later this year. At least, that's what his creators programmed to say in a YouTube video designed to show the progress they's made in the last couple years.

The Romeo project was introduced when it was little more than an idea and a dream, and now there is a working prototype. The bot has a fully functional voice box with English text-to-speech capabilities, however it does not have the ability to walk. Yet. That's kind of important if you're designing a robot that wants to handle all of your housework. And that is in fact the goal of Romeo.

Researchers want him to be able to open and close doors for you, bring you a drink, or take trash to the nearest waste receptacle. It's the kind of stuff we all wish we had someone – or something – to do for us. For now, obviously, he is just a skeleton of what his creators want him to become. So you'll have to use your imagination a bit to picture what he might mean for the advancement of mankind in the future.

[via Dvice]