Retail is getting a one-up in the robot help department. Retail workers will soon, or are already working alongside a talking humanoid robot to welcome customers at a department store. Her name is Aiko Chihira.

Aiko's job is a receptionist and she will greet shoppers as they enter the store.

She'll also give them directions and make conversations with pre-programmed scripts.

She can blink, move her lips when she talks and make other lifelike expressions.

Made by Toshiba in collaboration with Osaka University Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, her real value is publicity. Check out the video below: