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Hair-Washing Robot Won't Scalp You if You Don't Tip...Or Will It?

by Matthew Zuras on September 24, 2010 at 02:25 PM

panasonic's hair-washing robot
Panasonic is set to unveil this entirely non-threatening, hair-washing robot at the International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition in Tokyo next month. Designed for the elderly in assisted living facilities, the 'bot works in conjunction with a mechanical bed that transforms into a wheelchair, thereby preventing granny from shouting racial slurs at the orderlies (or, "easing the burden of caregivers," as Panasonic's press release puts it). Unless, that is, she thinks robots are responsible for World War II.

With sixteen robot fingers, the hair-washing apparatus scans the shape of your head, while three motors offer just the right amount of pressure for shampooing, rinsing and even scalp massage. The 'bot remembers the shape of each person's head to provide a customized, terrifically inhuman salon experience.

But we figure that ladies and natty gents of all ages could benefit from the hair-washing robot, if only it gave you the same warm, affirming feedback that a good hairstylist employs when listening to their droning clients. How would the 'bot fare? "So I sez to Edgar, 'Edgar, stop leaving your damn dirty socks all over the damn house...'" [BEEP-BOOP, 'bot rips off scalp.] We prefer our human hair-washers, at least for the time being.

Tags: accessibility, elderly, hair, InternationalHomeCareRehabilitationExhibition, japan, panasonic, robots, salon, top

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