A feeding machine and a furry, therapeutic seal -- both designed to make life easier for older people -- were among robots honored Thursday at a government-sponsored robotics award ceremony in Tokyo.
The My Spoon feeding robot, which won a prize in the service robots category of the Robot Award 2006, helps elderly or disabled people eat with a joystick-controlled swiveling arm that shovels morsels from a plate to the person's mouth.
My Spoon, which is already sold in Japan and Europe, doesn't force feed: the spoon-fitted arm stops at a preprogrammed position in front of the mouth so users can bite and swallow at their leisure, according to developer Secom Co.