Service Robots

Tokyo citizens will begin to experience service robots in public starting this December with JR East (the rail company) and their service robot called "Ai".
Ai will be roaming around Omiya, Saitama and other central stations. Ai will initially be a guide for the various facilities and services around the station although the picture looks like it has a SUICA charger on its shoulder.

Ai is 120cm high and weighs 50kgs. Humans will communicate with Ai via the touch panel in the chest or via speech. Ai also has the ability to speak.
Ai also has the ability to wonder around on its own so as an initial security measure, they are going to restrain Ai's movements down to a few meters. Can you imagine this this running amuck in Tokyo? ^^;
It will be only a matter if time before this not-so-cool-looking robo looks like Actroid or some other mecha.
Image from Robonable.