Sharp releases portable 'robot' phone The Japan Times

OSAKA – Sharp Corp. on Thursday began selling a humanoid robot phone armed with artificial intelligence features and carrying a price tag of ¥213,840 (about $2,000). The electronics maker is producing 5,000 units of the product, called RoBoHoN, per month. The launch of the phone is part of efforts to develop next-generation home appliances under Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which recently took over Sharp. Sharp says the two-legged robot phone, about 19.5 cm tall and weighing 390 grams, can have conversations with users using artificial intelligence, besides having basic mobile phone functions such as a voice service and camera. The RoBoHoN learns users' preferences and behavioral patterns through dialogue, Sharp said, adding the device can also walk and dance, controlled mainly by voice.