In case you’re the type who doesn’t notice your own bad FOOT ODOR, help is on the way now from Japan–in the form of a cute little ROBOT DOG named “Hana-chan”.

“Hana” apparently means “nose” in Japanese, and Hana-chan has a sensor in its nose, and is trained to sniff your feet.  If they smell fresh and dandy, Hana will wag its tail in delight. But if your feet are bordering on stinky, it’ll sound a warning bark.  And if your feet kick up a stench, well, Hana will faint, and fall over.

The creators of Hana-chan–Next Technology of Tokyo–say they’re ready to launch a commercial version of the feet-sniffing robo-dog, too.  But don’t whip out your checkbook just yet–first take a look at the faint-inducing price tag: 100,000 yen, or some 9,800 bucks, American.   Now in Japan, where shoes are taken off before entering buildings–and foot odor is considered highly offensive-the price might seem reasonable to some folks. But elsewhere? Probably not so much.

[Editor’s note: Hana-chan’s not like most dogs.  Nope, for most dogs, the stinkier the better.  Like Rusty the dog said to his girlfriend Ginger, the poodle, in my favorite “Far Side” cartoon:  “Oh Ginger…you look absolutely stunning…and whatever you rolled in sure does stink.”]