In Japan, the practice of paying through e-money via cell phones is fast becoming a norm. RFID technology readers have been popping up all over the country, one of which is this robot by NEC you see on the image at the left and below. NEC's payment terminal is modeled after a life-size android. Its torso has a touch screen panel where you can choose the e-money icon you need; you're supposed to place your cell phone on its arm equipped with a reader.

The prototype was presented during Tokyo's iEXPO 2008 trade show and the company hopes it will sell to establishments that need a reader for FeLiCa-enabled cell phones. The machines are also equipped with cameras for face recognition. The android payment terminals are available for immediate consumption; NEC can supply machines as they're ordered upon short notice. That means this NEC bot might be seen somewhere in Japan soon, although it's not clear whether anyone has already expressed intentions of buying a unit.