Toyota launches tiny humanoid robot that fits into the palm of your hand

Toyota has launched a tiny robot small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. 

The KiRobo Mini is clearly the company’s way of taking a break from making cars, and is now on sale in Japan.

According to Nikkei, the little robot “can talk, learn, and serve up information on your car and home”. 

For instance, it can tell you if your car is running low on fuel, and for that Toyota is asking for almost $400 per unit. There’s also a small monthly charge for internet connectivity.

When connected to a Toyota Home system, KiRobo can also tell you if you left your doors unlocked, or you left your household appliances on.

Nikkei also claims it has seen the 10 cm tall robot make facial gestures.

Humanoid robots are a growing interest for Toyota, which recently unveiled another one called T-HR3, a life-size humanoid capable of a while range of applications.

The humanoid robots market is forecast to grow to $4 billion within five years, according to ReportsnReports.

Some of the companies already making money in the sector include SoftBank, which says it has sold 10,000 units of its Nao robot, which retails for around $5,000 each.