Humanoid robot Aiko Chihira began work as a receptionist at an information desk inside the Mitsukoshi department store, in Tokyo, Japan, last month. Developed by Toshiba and dressed in a kimono, Chihira interacted with customers in Japanese, but her developer says she can be programmed to speak other languages. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes to achieve a ‘robot revolution’ in a country facing a shrinking workforce and a declining population.