HAL 9000 meets Weight Watchers

The weight maintenance sociable robot does not like big butts, and it cannot lie.

(Credit: MIT Media Lab)

"Open the donut box and pass me a glazed, Hal."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave."

Keeping your diet in check and working out is a great way to lose weight, but robotic assistants are always a huge help.

The weight maintenance sociable robot project at the always fascinating MIT Media Lab has one goal: to help you shed pounds. The talking, face-tracking, eye-contact-making weight-loss coach is designed for in-home use.

The MIT Media Lab site has a video of the robot in action.

Daily and long-term exercise patterns and eating habits are entered into the prototype robot via a touch-screen interface, and the robot calculates the best way to meet your weight goals from there.

The key to the robot's own trim shape and healthy diet is simple: it doesn't have a mouth.