The machine also reflects a lot of lessons learned from its predecessor and beyond. For instance, it knows to slow down near corners so that it won't smack into someone. It identifies people asking for help, too, and will approach on its own. Its biggest drawback is simply that it's not as personable as Pepper (you're just looking at a pair of expressionless eyes), and doesn't have a built-in display to show information.

It's going to be a while before you see EMIEW3 in service, as Hitachi doesn't expect it to be ready until 2018. However, Hitachi has grand ambitions for its third-generation hardware. It's hoping to offer the new robot beyond Japan, so you might just witness this little helper guiding you through offices and stores in your corner of the world.