X-SciTech

Japanese talking robot Kirobo

By Chenda Ngak

June 26, 2013 / 11:07 AM EDT / CBS News

Humanoid communication robot Kirobo is shown during a press unveiling in Tokyo Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The 13-inch tall robot is black-and-white with red boots, and has large oval eyes and a small red mouth.

The world's first space conversation experiment between a robot and humans is ready to be launched. Developers from the Kirobo project, named after "kibo" or hope in Japanese and "robot," gathered to demonstrate the humanoid robot?s ability to talk.

Kirobo is black-and-white with red boots, and has large oval eyes and a small red mouth.

Humanoid communication robot Kirobo, left, talks with Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota Motor Corp., during a press unveiling in Tokyo Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Humanoid communication robots, Kirobo, right, is seen here with his counterpart Mirata, left, who will remain on Earth.

Humanoid communication robots, Kirobo, bottom left, and Mirata, bottom right, are held by Tomotaka Takahashi, left, CEO of Robo Garage Co. and project associate professor from the University of Tokyo, and Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota Motor Corp., during a press unveiling in Tokyo Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Humanoid communication robot Kirobo, center, talks with Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota Motor Corp., during a press unveiling in Tokyo Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Chenda Ngak

Chenda Ngak is the science and technology editor at CBSNews.com.

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