It sounds like science fiction but could soon become science fact - parents leaving robots to look after their children.

One expert is so worried that he is warning that the metal nannies would create a 'generation of social misfits'.

nanny robot
©Mail Online
The childcare PaPeRo robot can recognise and talk to people


The robots could work well in minding children when supervised by adults, but parents would simply leave their offspring in the hands of 'robot role models', said Prof Noel Sharkey, of Sheffield University.

New domestic robots are being developed in Japan by Sony and NEC and tested in American schools.

A childcare version of NEC's PaPeRo robot is capable of recognising and talking to people. It can send images by mobile phone, as well as play games and sing along.

Adults can control the robot via the internet and see through it using cameras. They can even speak to children through the robot's voice.
Prof Sharkey, who is addressing the Cheltenham Science Festival today, said: 'These robots are great for monitoring children. But my concern is that they may be too useful.

'With more and more people working from home on their computers, it would be all too easy to leave the kids with a robot.

'This may be quite safe but what kind of role model is a robot? Could this lead to a generation of social misfits? What does this say about the value placed on children in society?'