PreacherTom writes to mention that this past Thursday many robots were honored at the government-sponsored Robot Awards 2006 in Japan. Winners include a feeding machine, a theraputic seal, and a giant automated vacuum cleaner. From the article: "Examples among the winners were MySpoon, which is a robot that helps to feed people who are paralyzed, and Paro, a furry robotic seal that responds to human touch and is designed for nursing home and hospital therapy."