that internally indicates the robot's distance traveled, and infrared range sensors that prevent it from running into objects or people. The component above the bottom contains more ultrasonic range sensors and another infrared range sensor that also prevent the robot from running into objects or walls. The "chest" component contains an LED indicator to indicate if the robot is on or off. This component also contains the directional microphone and speaker. The "head" component has the front camera and omni-directional camera, a rotating camera so the robot can see in all directions. It operates on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can operate for two hours. The Wakamaru automatically moves to the charging station when it needs to be charged. The Wakamaru runs on the operating system Linux. Safety Since the Wakamaru was designed for daily domestic life, the design for safety was prioritized. Mitsubishi used an international risk assessment method and tested all risks to ensure the product would be safe for use. From these tests, the arms and wheels of the Wakamaru have not caused any injury from collision. Using its ultrasonic and infrared sensors, the Wakamaru can avoid collision with objects and humans. It can be manually stopped at any contact with the bumpers on its shoulders or hands. There are also switches on its bumper, side, and bag to stop movement. There are no reports of safety issues. Functions The robot can recognize 10,000 Japanese words and carry on communication with human beings. It can also connect to wireless internet to tell you the current weather forecasts, reception information, and news. Mitsubishi claims the robot can recognize ten faces at a time, but reports say the robot can recognize eight. The robot can also take photos of unrecognizable faces in the house in case of a robbery and send the photos to the consumer's mobile phone. Reception Due to its US$14,000–$15,000 price-point, the Wakamaru has been criticized as being too expensive for what it does. Mitsubishi had predicted at least 10,000 sales in the United States a year after the launch, but only shipped about a dozen models overseas. As of 2008, the robot went off the market but remained for rent as a receptionist for $1,000 a day. On June 23, 2014, a photo of a number of Wakamaru units in a garbage collection unit at a Japanese university was tweeted by a Japanese Twitter user.