Worried about springtime pollen levels, Weathernews, Inc. of Tokyo is sending out an army of robot noses to monitor allergens. Two hundred 12-inch spherical robots are being strung up across Japan, each with monitoring gear that tests levels of airborne cedar and cypress pollen. Every bot hangs outside a volunteer's home, its "eyes" flashing colors matching the current alert levels, and Weathernews' Tokyo office compiles the data into an online map. Pairs of glowing red robot eyes warning people of a health risk? Sounds a tad too anime to us. [Weathernews via Pink Tentacle]

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