ANA opens world's 1st shop equipped with avatar robot in Tokyo

Japanese airline ANA Holdings Inc. opened Thursday what it says is the world's first store where customers can shop remotely through an avatar robot.Several stick-shaped robots standing 1.5 meters tall will be in the "avatar-in store" through Dec. 24 in a shopping mall in Tokyo's Nihombashi district, in collaboration with major department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.Customers using computers can control the robot called "newme" from anywhere in the country and shop for items in the gift store as if they were there.The robot has a tablet-sized monitor on top of its body tha…READ FULL ARTICLE