Archive for June, 2007

Tokyo Toy Show 2007

The Tokyo toy show is in full swing and we are not there …….aarggh!

YouTube Preview Image

The i-sobot @ 2.28 looks like it is going to be a big deal when released (hype?). The one shown in the video is the standard edition which is available any day now ($258). There is also a cam i-sobot scheduled for release in October. It can send pics to your PC or phone via WiFi and is voice activated ($344).

video - credits

i-sobot

Japanese Android - Goodbye Manual Labour!

YouTube Preview Image

Meet HRP-3 Promet Mk-II from Kawada Industries. A robot which will eventually replace many manual jobs performed by humans today. On the market for a cool $3 million he can handle rain, slippery surface, use tools.

The math doesn’t ad up but still would be very cool to have a robot workforce. Wait we have that already we are the robotic workforce!!!

Unplug Now……….

Robot Culture in Japan

Great video on Robot Culture in Japan by TokyoEye. Info on where to buy your robot kits in Tokyo and where to meet up with other robot otaku enthusiasts. Also features quite possibly the coolest arcade robot game you have ever seen.

YouTube Preview Image

Real Gear Transformers

Hasbro are releasing a series of toy electronics that turn into robots known as the ‘The Real Gear Transfomers’ ala Soundwave style as a tie in with the Transformer Movie (release date July 4th).

transformer real gear digital camera

transformer real gear gameboy micro

transformer real gear canon camcorder

Some real world functionality wouldn’t have gone a miss ie: the camera turning into a usb webcam (one for the toy mashup/homebrew makers). From what I can find on the Transformers website they will be relased same day as the Movie itself. Source - Engadget

Miuro the ultimate virtual pet ?

Meet ‘Miuro‘ (music innovation based on utility robot technology). The new Japanese robot from ZMP. It twists and rolls to iPod tunes in an intricate dance based on complex mathmatics (chaos theory). What makes it special is that it’s dancing isn’t preprogrammed, but generated by the robot in real time in sync with the music it is playing via the iPod player that locks into the machine.

Miuro

The cool stuff….Miuro can be programmed like an alarm clock so it wheels into the bedroom and blasts music at a certain time.

Miuro will use built-in sensors to seek out people to play tunes to.

It can stream music from your computer…

How much ? Miuro is currently only for sale in Japan but should be coming to the West for the fourth quater with an expected retail value of $850 (£425).

The thought of Miuro wheeling into the bedroom and streaming Limbiq Frequencies at 7.00 in the morning is too much. I will defintly be buying one of these.

Pleo the Robotic Dinosaur

YouTube Preview Image

This is yet another dinosaur robot which will be a big hitter this Christmas. It has a retail value of $200 (£100) and is the brainchild of Caleb Chung the creator of the furby.

What sets this robotic dinasaur from the rest is it’s range of activities and emotions that can be modified via online software. Emotions include - nipping, coughing, yawning, snoring, expressing joy, anger and fear….

Ugobe (the toy producer) proclaim it to be “the first truly autonomous life-form.” They are wrong in thinking this as I am!