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NEC's tasting robot gives culinary advice

NED tasting robot

Just what we all need, a robotic replica of good ol' Ma's voice bellowing at us to eat our peas. NEC's "Health/Food Advice Robot" can both taste-test and give advice on health and eating habits. Its taste buds (or whatever the heck it uses) are discriminating enough to tell the difference between various types of cheeses. It can analyze the composition of your food via infrared, and warn you if that extra helping of Manwich will relegate you to an extra session on the treadmill. No word on whether it can be pressed into service detecting cyanide slipped in by would-be assassins. Anybody else find it odd (and creepy) that the tasting robot has no mouth?