韩国科学家近期研制出了一个名为“Mahru-Z”的智能机器人女佣，她能帮助主人打扫房子、将衣服倾倒进洗衣机、用微波炉加热食物等。据介绍，这名女佣身高1.3米、体重55公斤，她的头部可以转动，胳膊腿齐全，有6根手指，而且还有能够分辨人和不同家务活动的三维视觉功能。据悉，韩国科学技术研究所的科学家们用了两年时间才完成这项研究，他们表示，Mahru-Z除了能干家务活以外，还可以代替人类完成一些高难度或者太过危险的任务。

A walking robot maid which can clean a home, dump clothes in a washing machine and even heat food in a microwave has been developed by South Korean scientists.

A walking robot maid which can clean a home, dump 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 recognize chores that need to be tackled, media reports said on Monday.

"The most distinctive strength of Mahru-Z is its visual ability to observe objects, recognize 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 recognizes 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 four billion won ($A3.8 million) every year on robot research.

It began receiving state funds for the project in 2006.

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(Agencies)

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）