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'Wheelie' Butler Bot Serves Dinner, Lacks Witty Banter

by Caleb Johnson on March 12, 2010 at 03:25 PM

A new robot prototype from Toshiba might relieve some of the stress of hosting a dinner party. According to DVICE, the bot, named Wheelie, is an autonomous two-wheel machine (complete with retractable wheels in the front and back in case of disaster) that's designed to assist around the house. Think of it as a shiny, mechanical butler, mixed with the balance of a Segway (check out the video after the break). Tech specs are slim, but Plastic Pals suspects Wheelie uses stereo vision and a laser range finder to get around and deliver food.

On the down side, you'll still have to prepare the menu, cook the food and place it on the robot's head. But when Wheelie rolls into the dining room, your dinner guests are sure to be impressed. Although robots may be getting smarter, Wheelie's lack of arms kills any chance of working together with this popcorn bot, much less taking over the world.[From: Plastic Pals, via: DVICE]

Tags: butler, food, robot, robots, segway, top, toshiba, wheels

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