Only in Japan: The cute security bot

'Roborior'

(Credit: Plastic Bamboo)

'Chapit'

(Credit: Akihabara News)

Everytime we see a new alarm system from Japan, the more curious we get about the mind of the Japanese criminal. In most societies, it helps to have the most menacing security and surveillance mechanisms available to deter thieves, burglars and other intruders. But the Japanese often take a different approach toward public safety, using technologies ranging from light shows to the "Ubiko" kitty-bot.

So it comes as little surprise that the latest security offering from the island nation--the "Roborior"--looks more like a kawaii toy than something that would scare off hardened perps. True, it can photograph intruders, call your mobile phone and monitor break-ins with infra-red sensors, photograph any intruders, according to Shiny Shiny. But, in typical Japanese fashion, it can also emit glowing lights in blue, orange and purple.

And Roborior almost looks as if it were separated at birth from the "Chapit" companion bot. What next, a shotgun-toting Hello Kitty?