Lovot, Japan's new touchy-feely family robot, aims to spread a little love

Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world, but it also might be the loneliest. So much so that its people may need to be taught how to love by a robot. On Tuesday, robotics venture company Groove X Inc. unveiled a cute knee-high robot called Lovot. The name is a combination of the words "love" and "robot," which befits a device whose primary function is to provide people with comfort and companionship. "Lovot does not have life, but being with one is comforting and warm," said Kaname Hayashi, president of Groove X and leader of the development team that created Pepper, the semi-humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics.