Are ladybug-shaped electronics a new technology trend? A day after we introduced these Ladybug speakers, we learn of Japan's plan to have ladybug-shaped robotic cleaning systems for public restrooms. The three foot tall Lady Bird is in some ways like a large Scooba, the floor-scrubbing Roomba from iRobot. Lady Bird can go about her floor-scouring business without bumping into people (something the Scooba hasn't quite mastered yet), doing work that nobody wants to do.

The robot's skills don't end there: Lady Bird has a voice recognition system and can chat with restroom users. Like the Nabaztag, the machine gets updated information from the Internet and can relay the latest traffic conditions with a voice synthesizer. That's more than we expect from most roadside rest stop employees, in one adorable garden-insect frame. — S.E. Kramer
via Pink Tentacle