If you've ever lived in an old house, you know they need a little love to keep from collapsing. The "Yuka shita Inspection Robot" made by Sanyo won't fix a structure's foundation, but it will fill the very useful role of carting around and finding out what's wrong with it. Structural flaws such as cracking and chipping, and even excess dirt, will be cataloged by the little camera-on-treads for landlords and government inspectors to see. Depending on how well it works, it might save the average owner of a sizable premises from bribing street urchins to crawl under their property.

The Sanyo Inspection Robot is due out next year and will cost around $9,000. It might only see release over in Japan, where government programs are in place to protect and upkeep aging buildings. — Kevin Hall

Via Akihabara News