This gives a whole new meaning to saying you have an Android  phone. Japanese have taken their love for human-like robots to a whole new level, and have built “RoBoHoN,” a smartphone that is also a robot.

It speaks, dances, displays your email, projects images, and will help you remember to buy toothpaste. It uses voice and face recognition to aid in its interactions with humans. And yes, it has an Android OS.

RoBoHoN is the latest in a string of victories for proponents of human-like robots. While having a face similar to a person my facilitate Human Robot Interaction (HRI), there is no practical reason for RoBoHoN’s legs and arms.

Actually, from an ergonomic point of view, a human-shaped smartphone is a catastrophe for the traditional way a handheld communication device is used. Of course, the makers of RoBoHoN may be counting on people adjusting their smartphone behavior to accomidate the new form factor. Why wold anyone want to go to all that trouble? It’s just so darn cute! Cuteness über alles!

As expressed on the RoBoHoN website:

A phone in human shape

A phone that you feel like talking to

A phone that also wants to know you

To hear what you hear

To see what you see

To share the same dreams

That is little RoBoHoN’s big dream

Don’t you want to take RoBoHoN with you everywhere?

I’m not so sure. Do I really want a little doll to wake me up in the morning and follow me around all day?  It seems to me there is a fine line between cuteness and creepy.

Make up your own mind by watching the video below: