Robotic Blogs

What do you get when you combine speakers from Kenwood with robot technology from ZMP - the makers of Nuvo - and give it an iPod to carry around?

You get miuro, 'music innovation based on utility robot technology' (shouldn't that be mibourot?)

This is your basic robot ovaloid that rolls around the house playing your ipod. You can command it with a remote control or chat with it wirelessly from your pc.

It evidently does not understand speech (Has its ears plugged?). But at only US $930 what do you expect?
What more could you want than a robot that rolls around on the floor and shakes its booty with your ipod?

The units are available in Japan now and will be availble overseas in about a year.

ZMP plans to sell 10,000 of them in the first year. Says ZMP president Hisashi Taniguchi, "The robot helps you listen to music wherever you are without even thinking about it. Sometimes I don't even have the energy to put on a CD."

Another age old problem solved by robots!

Japanese robot adds wheels to iPod - Yahoo! News

Robot cat from SEGA called 'Near Me'
The marketing genius seller on ebay describes it as "Creepy cat robot"

It is only available retail in Japan for $300-$400 US. This guy is selling it for US $200 plus $98 shipping from Hong Kong.

The robot moves like a lazy cat, makes cat noises and has 7 sensors to make it go. It developes a different personality depending on how it is treated.

Near Me page (Japanese) Includes video near bottom of page.

eBay: SEGA CREEPY CAT ROBOT " NEAR ME "

Reminds me of older NeCoRo from OMRON. Anyone know the connection?

Japan Design Foundation has announced that the theme of their 2006 International Design Competition will be 'Robots.'

They explain that robots include any "tool created to solve present-day social challenges" by reducing "people's loads and burdens in their daily lives and that help establish more delightful and positive relationships between humans and things."

They are looking for designs that establish new relationships "between humans and the things around us" and "...can enhance or perform human functions."

Works can be submitted from September 20 through october 22, 2006.


Conditions and Rules of International Design Competition Osaka

Professor Oh Jun-ho of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology announced that his walking robot Hubo will be getting a Segway to scoot around on. Hubo will be the first robot to get on Segway and control the scooter. This is just the latest innovation from the Hubo Labs.

Albert Hubo is a version of the robot that sports an animated Albert Eistein head. Albert has been appointed as the official ambassador of 'Dynamic Korea.' He has been seen gallivanting around the world lately trying to catch up to the popularity of his Japanese rival Asimo.

Albert Hubo has reportedly signed a deal with pop-star Kanye West to perform in a music video for the 3-man band Sara on their debut album later this year.

When asked about the Segway trick for Hubo, Asimo reportedly scoffed, "Honda has spent hundreds of millions teaching me to walk and run. I don't need no stinkin' scooter."
For now, Hubo needs hep to get on or off the Segway but Oh says that he will be able to handle it all by himself after software upgrades.

The Korea Times : Korean Robot to Drive 2-Wheeled Scooter

The start-up company D2E Robotics formed by Daeduk College in Taejon, Korea, has announced their first foray into commercial toy robots for the home.
They say their robot, the D2V-ZN, will be, "arguably be the smartest robot in the market."
The 2-foot tall robot will be fully programmable from a pc. It will have a built in camera and capability for face and voice recognition.
I like the look of the backward-knee chicken legs, but the arms look like they have fake machine guns instead of grabbers. Will it be able to hold anything?

The robot is the beginning of a plan to launch the business, and Daeduk College, onto the top of the heap in Korea's booming robot industry. They hope to have a majority market share in the Korean toy robot business by 2008 and overseas markets by 2010. The ultimate goal is to be a major player in the service robot business by 2012.


The Korea Times : Korea to Unveil Programmable Robot in October