Wakamaru robot to help / freak out UNIQLO SoHo shoppers

Shopping robots aren't totally unheard of from a global perspective, but we certainly haven't seen too many out and about in NY boutiques. Reportedly, that's about to change -- UNIQLO SoHo will soon be home to Mitsubishi's Wakamaru, a humanoid that can look you in the eye, communicate on a very basic level and somehow help you decide between this dress or that other one over there. Word on the street has it arriving sometime next week, so if any of you regulars happen to see it, let us know just how convincing it is / isn't.

[Via TokyoMango]

[idontcare666 @ Sep 6th 2008 3:18AM]

If that thing looks at me in the eye, I will never shop there again.

[Blackstar @ Sep 6th 2008 6:53AM]

Klaatu Verada Nicto.

[a ham sandwich @ Sep 6th 2008 9:41AM]

"ok, look right here. ::flash:: what you have just seen was not a robot, it was simply a hobo in boxes covered with tinfoil and light reflecting off of venus. thank you for your interest in UNIQLO."

[Gamer90 @ Sep 6th 2008 3:23AM]

Wow I was at Uniqlo two days ago, looking forward to seeing this thing.

[CJ @ Sep 6th 2008 3:50AM]

Unless I'm missing something, that robot's about 3-4 feet tall; I'm not so sure that it'd be looking me in the eye...

[CJ @ Sep 6th 2008 3:51AM]

Unless I'm missing something, that robot's about 3-4 feet tall; I'm not so sure it'd be looking me in the eye...

[broli @ Sep 6th 2008 4:45AM]

Kiiiiiill meeeee.

[rita hainsworth @ Sep 6th 2008 5:30AM]

you will buy this dress foolish mortal.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 6th 2008 7:13AM]

Robots will always be better than iPods.

I eagerly await interaction with our new robotic masters.

[i2iShift @ Sep 6th 2008 8:33AM]

Is that a robot titty?

[zach @ Sep 6th 2008 10:23AM]

$20 bucks that its a small child in a robot outfit.

[gavinovz @ Sep 6th 2008 10:32AM]

You can't replace human workers. lol

[Shakes @ Sep 6th 2008 10:45AM]

maybe the robot could tell them that having a t-shirt selection of only Med to Extra Small sizes may work in Japan but it's not so practical for more corpulent Americans

[Apreche @ Sep 6th 2008 11:15AM]

I work around the corner, so I'll definitely go check it out.

[lanosian @ Sep 6th 2008 9:50PM]

we? regulars?

[Artie Lange @ Sep 7th 2008 12:34AM]

"/must not crush fragile human hand/must not crush fragile human hand/must not crush fragile human hand...yet..."

[mehan @ Sep 8th 2008 11:36AM]

Having played with the Wakamaru before, I can honestly say that this is nothing worth getting excited about. It's capable of only very basic speech recognition (last I saw it, which was last fall, it could only recognize Japanese speech and even then it was a little iffy) and seems to cycle through a few preset "routines" based on the speech commands it receives. In short, it's essentially like a battery-powered child's toy, just a bit larger.

[OC @ Sep 9th 2008 8:21PM]

Walked in yesterday and the robot was there. It sucked. It just repeated the same phrase "I am Wakamaru" or "My name is Wakamaru" and that's it. It would turn its head to look at you but it didn't do anything. I tried some simple phrases / questions but it didn't respond. The music was pumped up very loud and that may have affected things.

[Robert Gerrity @ Sep 13th 2008 12:46PM]

I was in today. Wakamaru led a group of onlookers in an exercise routine ("up, front, left, right; let's do that again sometime"). However, as far as the human employees were concerned, the robot seemed less like a helpful mechanized assistant and more like an insolent child refusing to be led around by the hand "back home" (i.e. to the basement).

[Crack Head DooFuss @ Oct 6th 2008 1:59PM]

I don,t shake hands with robots its just wrong and
anyone that shakes hands with a robot needs a
reality check ,should we give pop machines a pat
on the back when they spit out cans next,or maybe
hug a washing machine,ah but i did kiss my first
laptop ones but dam it man, i smoke crack,i want my
blender to like me like my coffee machine does,
ya i know ,boohoo!