A walking robot maid which can clean a home, put clothes in a washing machine and even heat food in a microwave has been developed by South Korean scientists.
Mahru-Z has a human-like body including a rotating head, arms, legs and six fingers plus three-dimensional vision to recognise chores that need to be tackled.
"The most distinctive strength of Mahru-Z is its visual ability to observe objects, recognise the tasks needed to be completed, and execute them," You Bum-Jae, head of the cognitive robot centre at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, told the Korea Times.
"It recognises people, can turn on microwave ovens, washing machines and toasters, and also pick up sandwiches, cups and whatever else it senses as objects."
The institute took two years to develop Mahru-Z, which is 1.3 metres tall and weighs 55 kilograms.
It could also work with an earlier maid robot called Marhu-M which moves on wheels, since both can be remotely controlled through a computer server.
Apart from tackling chores, researchers say Mahru-Z can also be used in conditions too difficult or dangerous for humans.
But mass production for commercial use is some way away.
The science institute spends about $A3.8 million every year on robot research.
It began receiving state funds for the project in 2006.
