Female robot makes catwalk debut at start of Tokyo Fashion Week

(23 Mar 2009) SHOTLIST 1. Dimmed lights turn up as HRP-4C robot walks onto catwalk, bows 2. Robot on stage, greets audience, zoom in to close-up of robot as she continues to greet audience 3. Close-up of HRP-4C's feet, pan to face 4. Models walking on catwalk at "Shinmai Creators Project" show 5. Set-up Shuji Kojita, HRP-4C robot designer, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology 6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shuji Kojita, HRP-4C robot designer, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: "We're only just at the beginning. Instead of her just acting as an MC (Master of Ceremonies), what we really want to achieve is to have her modelling clothes alongside human models. But we are still just at the starting point." 7. HRP-4C turns around and leaves stage through automatic doors, lights dim, applause 8. Models walking down catwalk STORYLINE She may not be in the same class as Kate Moss or Claudia Schiffer, but HRP-4C the walking, talking robot has made her debut on the catwalk. The new "cybernetic human" from Japan strutted her stuff at the start of Tokyo Fashion Week on Monday, almost a week after her official presentation to the international media. HRP-4C trimmed down to 43 kilogrammes (95 pounds) for the appearance, but hadn't yet cleared the safety standards required to share the catwalk with actual human models. So for now, the 158 centimetres (63.2 inch) tall black-haired robot, whose predecessor weighed 58 kilogrammes (128 pounds), simply helped open the show. The robot was developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, a government-backed organisation. Her designers say HRP-4C wasn't built to help with daily chores or work side by side with people - as many hope robots will be able to do in the future. Instead, she will most likely be used in amusement parks or to perform simulations of human movement, as an exercise instructor for example. HRP-4C has been desig