Japan's Panasonic on Thursday unveiled a robot that can scans a client's head using 3D technology, then shampoos their hair and massages the scalp with its rubbery "fingers".

The prototype machine was developed to help thinly-stretched staff at healthcare facilities, common problem in rapidly-ageing Japan, said the electronics maker.

In a three-minute media demonstration, the automated hair salon, which resembles a dentist's chair with a wash basin, moved a pair of "arms" with 16 finger-like massage nobs while squirting shampoo and water.

"With 16 fingers, the robot washes hair and rinses the shampoo bubbles with the dexterity of human fingers," the company said in a statement.

"The robot's two arms scan the head three dimensionally as they move and measure and remember the head shape to apply just the right amount of pressure to each person when shampooing and massaging."

The machine, which will hit stores in a few years, was unveiled at a Tokyo fair of welfare goods that showed off 20,000 products, including a wheelchair that can dock into a three-wheeled electric motorbike and automobiles designed for disabled people.

Panasonic also displayed a prototype electric bed that turns into a wheelchair.

earlier related report
Intel to invest in S.Korea wireless broadband venture
Seoul (AFP) Sept 30, 2010 - The investment unit of US technology giant Intel said Thursday it would pump 20 million dollars into a South Korean wireless broadband joint venture.

The move is expected to accelerate wireless services in South Korea, amid growing demand for smartphones and other multifunctional devices.

The WiBro joint venture involves South Korean telecoms giant KT Corp, Samsung Electronics and Kookmin Bank Investment.

WiBro, which allows faster data transfer and a higher degree of mobility, is a version of the WiMAX technology offered by South Korean telecoms operators from 2006.

Intel Capital said its money would be used to speed up deployment of leading-edge wireless broadband networks in South Korea.

The investment strengthens "our WiMAX efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, arguably the fastest-growing wireless broadband area," and specifically helps KT expand its offering, Intel Capital president Arvind Sodhani said in a statement.

From Friday South Korean customers can buy laptops and netbooks with Intel's chipsets supporting WiMAX services, allowing high-speed Internet access without plug-in USB modems or wireless pocket routers.

The devices will enable users to enjoy wireless connectivity in countries and cities that also have compatible WiMAX networks.

KT plans to begin its WiBro service in five major cities and expressways and expand its coverage to 85 percent of the population by next year.