# Glowing Baby Bots 'Yotaro' Interactive Robotic Infant for Parents-In-Training By Katie Cordrey | Published 2010-01-08 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yotaro References: [engadget](http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/18/baby-simulator-surfaces-in-japan-devo-wants-its-mascot-back-vi/) & [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdkXzURJLLo) Hiroki Kunimura of Japan’s [University of Tsukuba](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hydrogen-based-energy-systems) has created a [robotic baby simulator](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-baby-companion) to help train parents-in-waiting named Yotaro. The baby’s face is an interactive screen that can display a [variety of emotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feelbot) including shedding tears to joyful smiles accompanied by a simulated audio giggle. A simulator in the Yotaro system can react to what a person does and provide the appropriate baby response. The idea behind Yotaro is to give people the experience of what it is like to care for a newborn. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 10% | Activity: 77% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Robotic Infant Simulators:** The creation of interactive robotic infant simulators presents an opportunity for companies and organizations to produce realistic teaching tools for parenting. - **Emotion-displaying Screens:** Integrating screens that display an array of emotions could lead to innovative opportunities for enhancing human-robot interactions in various industries. - **Healthcare AI Technology:** The incorporation of AI technology in healthcare has the potential to revolutionize the training of medical professionals, including nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Parenting Education:** The use of robotic infant simulators such as Yotaro presents an innovative opportunity for companies in the parenting education industry to enhance the learning experience of future parents. - **Retail:** The integration of emotion-displaying screens in retail could improve the shopping experience for customers, leading to better customer satisfaction and increased sales. - **Healthcare Education:** Organizations in the healthcare education industry can benefit from AI technology integration, as it can improve the training process of future healthcare professionals. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Toddler-Friendly Robot Fans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/baby-fufu.md) - [Multidisciplinary Interactive Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sipro.md) - [Emotional Companion Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yonbo-smart-home-robot.md) - [Interactive Companion Care-Bots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fourier-g3.md) - [Adorable Cyber-Pet Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cyberpet.md) - [Baby Decoder Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/q-bear.md) - [AI-Powered Toy Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rocar.md) - [AI-Backed Family Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2xl-cobot.md) - [AI Emotional Interface Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feelbot.md)