Japanese robots are stepping past the labs, past the demos, and actually getting to work in retail and banks. None are fully functional, as design choices are made. Some can talk and look human, but can’t walk or listen. Others can talk and walk and listen, but are cartoonish. It isn’t necessary that a robot look like a human. The level of mimicry is one of the design choices being tested. But the progress continues, and isn’t limited to battlefields or factories.
“Humanoid Robo-Clerk Not Fooling Shoppers Just Yet” – Scientific American
Pretending Not To Panic 