Sharp's singing vacuum aims to tug users' heart strings

The Sharp Corp. robot vacuum cleaner on display at the ongoing CEATEC trade show is no mere machine. Dubbed Cocorobo, it collaborates with a singing voice synthesizer software called Vocaloid and can hold simple conversations and even sing to people. The Osaka-based firm has been gearing up efforts to make home electronics that can connect to the internet and use artificial intelligence to strengthen the bond with people. But while the appliance seems to work well, its marketing may have gone a little haywire. Sharp says the idea is that a Vocaloid anime character named Cocorobo lives inside the cleaner.