The end of the holidays and “back to school” is music to the ears of many. I mean I love my kids but tag with the two yellow Labrador dogs in the living room leaping from chair to couch, and webkinz (these funny little stuffed animals) nesting in your shoes…well in these desperate moments the Japanese Robot babysitter PaPeRo sounds enticing.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, there were 610,000 robots in service worldwide in 2004. Today there are 6.5 million with this figure expected to reach 18 million by 2011.

PaPeRo (Partner-type Personal Robot) is a rather interesting Robot developed by NEC in Japan. In tests children have found it friendly and have had no trouble making friends with it. PaPeRo comes with a camera, face-recognition software, microphones and wireless communication via a mobile phone. Imagine going out for dinner and leaving your children with a Robot babysitter you monitor from your cell phone?

The thought is a little scary. I don’t know about your children but I would fear my son with his outrageous creative mind would find a way to cross and reconnect a few Robot wires. In no time the PaPeRo would be chasing the Labradors and repeating there is no bedtime. The image of a Robot babysitter rewired by my 6 year hoodlum makes the idea of re-renting the movie “Home Alone” sound rather lame.

However, there is a lot more to Robots than this application. The fact is that Robots have a tremendous untapped ability not only in our daily lives but in the marketing of products and services. They can “stop traffic” and present important commercial messages and are an asset at store openings, or special events. They can sing, perform a show, follow people (hey is there someone you are pissed at?), shoot out prizes or coupons, spray perfume, and interact with people. With the advances in Robotics this long-tail marketing niche provides a new dimension in engagement marketing.