TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Sharp Corp. said Tuesday it will launch "talking" electronic appliances in Japan next month that are capable of informing users of operational status and reminding them to do daily chores.
Among the "talking" white goods, a refrigerator will remind users to check for expired food items, while an air conditioner will notify them when it turns on automatically after detecting room temperature, according to the Osaka-based company.
In June last year, Sharp launched a robot vacuum cleaner capable of recognizing and responding to simple voice commands and questions. The new products to be launched next month utilize the same technology used in the vacuum cleaner.
