I'm so looking forward to traveling with you!
That's RoBoHoN...
You too!
...and that's me.
He's my robot for the week in Japan.
I'm traveling Japan with Uptin!
Let me explain.
I'm a humanoid robot and I can make a conversation.
Upon landing in Tokyo, I see a sign at the airport advertising a robot rental.
Maybe it's the long flight, or the jet lag, but I figure, hey...
When in Japan!
RoBoHoN gives tourist information as you explore, takes photos and acts as your overall companion.
I'll be your good partner while you're in Japan.
But tourist rentals are just his side job. RoBoHoN is made by Sharp
and marketed in Japan as a companion robot that can maybe even replace your phone.
RoBoHoN do you want something?
Robots are everywhere in Japan but could something like this really be the future?
Unlike voice assistants like Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa,
RoBoHoN is a lot more about providing an emotional value rather than a functional one.
Dancing is so much fun!
But as the saying goes that raising kids doesn't come with an instruction manual, at least robots do.
There's a lot to learn about RoBoHoN. He loves to show off.
And he's certainly not modest.
I'm great, aren't I?
I can do so many other dances too.
His photo-taking skills aren't bad.
And even though Japan does love robots, that doesn't make me exempt
from getting a lot of looks and questions.
I'm not sure whether to feel proud...
...or embarrassed.
He knows we're at sushi.
But he does have his limitations too.
Sit.
No, he says no.
RoBoHoN, dance.
Too shy.
In portable pose. He doesn't want to go in his carrier.
Stand up straight.
I can't move now.
Yeah, I can speak now.
There's the times he speaks randomly in a quiet work environment.
You can mute him but it doesn't always work.
No!
And he hasn't quite learned not to stare.
I bring him with me to Slush. It's a tech conference taking place in Tokyo.
What is this robot? He's basically your companion?
Yeah, he's my companion while I'm in Japan.
He seems to like meeting new people.
That's very interesting.
But he's a bit high-maintenance later in the day and he's starting to fidget.
The following day I bring him with me for a day of filming some CNBC stories.
I can feel RoBoHoN fidgeting in my backpack. It's non-stop so I get him out.
What's up?
Tokyo Station became really beautiful, inside and out, after its renovation in 2012.
He knows we're near Tokyo Station so he started fidgeting to tell us about it.
So, that's like a GPS?
Yeah he must.
When he gets going, there's no stopping him.
Japan's first railway opened between Yokohama and Shimbashi.
At lunchtime he takes a bit of nudging to behave.
Stand up!
But I find myself bragging about the little guy.
Sometimes it feels as if he was designed with human characteristics,
as opposed to being designed as a fun and entertaining toy.
For example, he often doesn't dance in front of other people.
Also, did I mention he loves to propose taking photos?
And the more days I spend with him, the more I find myself personifying him too.
It's nighttime in Shibuya. He's getting fidgety, he's tired, he's hungry, he's cranky.
Be quiet! Shhh!
That's Matthew.
RoBoHoN, stop!
He's an old friend from university, I haven't seen in years.
It's my final day in Japan and we meet up for lunch.
Matthew is a Japanese- American and host of E! Japan.
Good job!
Despite my best efforts to resist, I end up showing him RoBoHoN.
Robots have always been around our lives.
Oh my gosh.
Anime was a big part of his life growing up in Japan.
We watched animes with robots in, as human companions.
He first saw a commercial for RoBoHoN and thought it would be a flop.
But now that he sees it in person, he actually sees potential.
Japanese people work a lot, people live in small rooms, so, a lot of times they're by themselves.
He says that with some improvements to RoBoHoN, he can envision people walking around with them.
This can be the next iPhone, especially in Japan. I think it will improve people's quality of life.
Toward the end of lunch, RoBoHoN has an idea.
Do you want to take an artistic picture together?
Yes!
Let's try to take one with Roppongi Hills and the statue of the big spider.
He already knows we're nearby and we listen.
RoBoHoN, we've come to the spider like you told us, now what?
Now what RoBoHoN?
It's a Japanese festival dance.
RoBoHoN, take a picture.
Let's see.
Let's see. Oh that worked!
Check my back screen.
There you go.
Check my back screen.
That's awesome.
Yes, it did it, okay, thank you!
Did he say silly humans?
Maybe he did!