A new invention from Japan could see the washing-up done in an entirely different way in the future.Scientists at the University of Tokyo have unveiled a working prototype of a kitchen assistant robot (KAR) which is certainly very handy which it comes to the much-maligned household chore.The robot uses 18 special sensors to handle delicate crockery and a camera to discern between cups, cutlery and so on.However, the machine is only able to pick items out of the stainless steel sink and load them into the dishwasher, meaning that the manual task of washing up certain items by hand will remain the sole preserve of the human kitchen user for some time to come.The appliance of technology in the kitchen is nothing new, with sophisticated construction materials used by innovative firms such as Franke in their fragranite sinks, which offer hard-wearing and durable construction together with an attractive design.