Toyota to Sell 'Cuddly Companion' Robot in Japan

TOKYO-- Toyota TM 0.06 % Motor Corp. plans to sell a pint-size robot in Japan called Kirobo Mini that is designed to provide companionship to people. The robot goes on sale for 39,800 yen ( 392) this winter in Toyota dealerships in Tokyo and the area around the company's headquarters in Nagoya. Kirobo, a combination of the Japanese word for hope and robot, can hold basic conversations while blinking its oversize eyes and wagging its limbs. It also comes with a cradle that fits in a car's cupholder, "helping it fulfill its role as a cuddly companion always on hand for heart-touching communication," the company said. Japan has long had a love affair with robots.