Following on from Tamagotchis, I-Mode virtual girlfriends and robot dogs, researchers at Japan's NEC have developed a robot that heals rifts in families. Dubbed PaPeRo (Partner-type Personal Robot), the cute, 15-inch robot can recognise facial expressions and tailor its responses according to the speaker, thus acting as a go-between between quarreling family members. It is currently being tested with 10 families; there are no plans to market it yet.

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