ORLANDO -- Sorry, Elmo, the dolls of the future are not just for tickles.
Take, for example, the Cheeron++, a snuggly color-changing robot built by students in Japan that cheers after a day of exercise, and gets mad when you haven't been active enough.
That was just one device presented at the 11th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, where nearly 300 students and researchers from around the world gathered to present their ideas for the gadgets of tomorrow.
The concept of ubiquitous computing centers around finding new uses for devices, like sensors, and integrating them into everyday activities.
Putting computer chips in clothes hangers, for example, could help a computer keep track of your outfits and share it with a social network like Twitter to help you coordinate your wardrobe, which is what Hitomi Tsujita has worked on at Ochanomizu University in Japan.
``I think many people asked the same question this morning, what should I wear today?'' she said. ``Sometimes your boyfriend isn't any help and you can't ask your sister all the time. Therefore we developed a system that organizes your clothing with a social network.''
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