Fifteen years of research has created 'Saya', a robot that looks humanoid and is being tested as a teacher after having been used as a receptionist.

According to a report in the Herald Sun newspaper, the robot is multilingual, can organise set tasks for pupils, call the roll and get angry when the kids misbehave.

Japan is determined to have a robot in every home in the country by 2015 said the article.

The robot was originally developed for companies who want to cut costs by replacing office workers a such as secretaries and receptionists with an android that had a range of human expressions.

Saya is already employed as a receptionist in the foyer of Tokyo University where dressed in a shape-hugging yellow shirt she meets and greets visitors.

The robot was invented by Professor Hirohi Kobayashi of Tokyo University who has been reported as saying while it isn't hard to build a robot that looks like a human being, it is much more difficult to create software that mimics the human mind.

But he believes that within a few years robots with the physical and mental skills of a two-year old child will be available.

Other robots are already used as traffic wardens and one is being made that will be a companion for people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.