Robot Solves a Problem That Kids Can't: Cleaning Their Rooms

The robot sees objects through built-in cameras and uses machine learning to identify them and decide what to do with them. Over time, as it wanders around the house, it makes an inventory of household possessions. According to the company, people can use it as a literal search engine--seeking real objects instead of information. "In other words, a child would no longer need to wait for his mother's return to ask where in the room she has put a toy," said Yuya Unno, a Preferred Networks manager. The company also showed a video of the robot cleaning up scattered toys, socks and other items and putting them in separate boxes.