Kodomoroid and Otonaroid made news today in Tokyo and around the world by claiming to be the first android news readers.

This pair are the invention of Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University a robotics expert and they have gone on display at Tokyo museum with a purpose of being virtual news readers mouthing the words given to them,  and making appropriate facial and hand gestures all whilst trying to look convincing doing it.

Trying to get avatars and androids to read the news is not new.

The first attempt was in 2007 when the London based avatar Ananova was given the virtual screen and a 24 hour licence to read all that’s happenings in the world, but her efforts were short lived, as were the efforts of specialist news reading apps Guide, Qwiki and Winston and many others.

Despite a belief that will occur one day, we still seem to have an aversion to hearing the news of the day from an inanimate object, but will this change as we march into an ever more digital world?

This was the discussion of the afternoon between Michael and Clare of radio 4BC and I as we delved into Astro Boy, robots, androids, Japanese hologramatic pop stars, why the Japanese are the world leaders of robots and what else androids and robots might do for us in the very near future.

Have a listen now.