Shop Till Your Robot Drops

Sez Gizmodo:

NTT Communications is teaming with Tmsuk to test a RFID-controlled shopping assistant robot at a mall in Fukuoka. Basically the robot reads millions of RFID tags that are embedded into the floor of the mall, collecting information about everything in the shops. It works by having the shopper select a store/product destination, the robot will then direct the shopper to said store and then provide information about the store and its myriad contents. The robot also has a safe lock-box for valuables.

I actually think this is a pretty good idea...Lowe's (or Home Depot) and your average supermarket could use something like that--actual humans are hard to come by, and it's not always easy to find things. But here's an even better idea--robotic shopping carts (the image I have is Robby the Robot driving that cart in Forbidden Planet) that can easily lead you to where items are, as well as tote them around for you. Of course, there is always the worrisome thought of giving robots unfettered access to nail guns should a robot holocaust break out. Maybe I've been getting too into the new Battlestar Galactica series, but look what happened with the Cylons. It could happen here....