Mr. Future

Taiwan-based GeStream is taking a shot at the Guinness World Record for “smallest humanoid robot in production,” though I’m not sure Tomy’s iSobot, current reigning champ, is losing sleep over it.

GeStream’s yet unnamed mini-bot, shown in the bizarrely edited demonstration film below, stands 5.9 inches tall, just under iSobot’s 6.5 inch crown. It is small, controlled via infra-red, and targeted for sale in a sub-$200 kit.

Maybe it’s the jerky franken-pushups, maybe it’s the gold spray-paint, but somehow it seems to lack the polish, charm (and development budget) of the gleefully anticipated Tomy robot.

World Bulletin has an article and fresh new video clip here.
Link to the official page. (via WaziWazi)

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If you’ve been working on building your own hysterical robot, we’ve found the comedy venue of your dreams. Japanese entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo is sponsoring a star-making funny robot competition in Tokyo this fall.Baca Robo (”Foolish Robot”) 2007 takes place this November 4th at the “Lumine the Yoshimoto” theater, with a cash prize of 500,000 yen ($4265.00!).

They’re accepting entries through October 5th, and robots that make it through the qualifying round will have 2 minutes to make the audience laugh. Judges for the competition include Mayway Denki president Nobumichi Tosa, writer/director Shinji Higuchi, and professor Masahiko Inami. According to the official rules, qualifying robots must be autonomous, under 7 feet tall, make people laugh, and must do so without the use of explosives, sparks, fire, or liquids.

As the old robot joke (as told by robots) goes:

“Waiter! Waiter! What’s this robot doing in my soup?”

“It looks like he’s performing human tasks twice as well, because he knows no fear or pain.”

<Ba-dum Bump!>

We can only assume this extends to comedy.

Translated Link (via PinkTentacle)

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Maruading insects are destroying your home. Sightless, relentless, and nigh-undetectable, termites gnaw away at the American (and presumably Japanese) dream. Before they eat you out of house and home, it’s time to call in the robots.

Two new robot home inspectors from Japan are gearing up to guard your home and castle. This Yamato House Inspection Robot, a joint project of The Chiba Institute of Technology and Tsukuba University, crawls through your crawl-spaces (where else?) and sub-flooring. It seeks everything from termite invaders to water damage, and relays the evidence back to its human handlers. It’s slated for mass production in April 2008, at an approximate cost of $10,000.

Once your insect enemies have been identified, bring in Asante/NPO’s “Mirubo” to finish them off. Aside from a camera and lighting package, this water-proof, dust-proof robot comes equipped with a fearsome pesticide sprayer and poison-supply hose. A few video clips of Mirubo rescuing the historic Kamakura Shrine from termite invaders are posted on the Robot Watch article.

Translated Links (1,2) to the RobotWatch and RoboNable articles.

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While other robotic (and robot-assisted) musical groups have employed everything from robot guitarists to electro-mechanical xylophones, Maywa Denki is the first to use a true robot vocalist.

The music group/concept art/design company Maywa Denki has brought the world some incredible “Nonsense Machines“, music machines, and toys. But their robotic vocalist, shown in this “product demonstration video” along with their robotic “Mecha Folk” quartet, is over the top brilliant.

The robotic vocalist, dubbed “Seamoons,” is a combination of mechanical bellows and a computer controlled rubber vocal chord that’s monitored and modified in real time, sounding something like a tiny electric Yma Sumac.

Link to the Maywa Denki web site.
Links (1,2,3) to the two Maywa Denki product demonstration and a (completely mad) performance video. (via Metafilter)

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There’s a 60-foot (18 m) giant robot in Fujiyoshida Japan, who desperately needs your help.

In a hanger beneath the mysterious amusement park Fuji-Q Highland, the mighty full-scale Mobile Suit Gundam awaits urgent repairs that only you, and perhaps every other visitor to the park this summer, can perform. Time is short, and the Earth Federation is in grave danger, so each visitor will be equipped with a digital tablet to diagnose and repair the colossal mechanical anime hero.

Now, while this is right up Mr. Future’s alley, giant robot troubleshooting and repair does stretch the concept of a traditional amusement part ride a bit.  If nothing else, though, Gundam Crisis (the ride!) promises to be an excellent mix of animatronics, 3D CGI animation, and old-fashioned stagecraft, to help you get your robot-hero-of-the-future fix on.

Link to the official Gundam Crisis Site.

Link to the excellent Robot Watch Coverage (translated).

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Industrial robot giant Yaskawa Electric, along with the Mitsui Co. have developed the parcel sorting worker of the future.

The system’s two-armed Motoman-DIA10 robot is able to recognize and rapid-sort everything from boxes to clothing. It can easily match the thousand-parcels-an-hour speed of the dedicated human worker it’s been designed to replace assist.

For eager corporate job-seekers the world over, starting in the mail room may no longer be an option.

Link (via Pink Tentacle)

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Scifi Tech Blog Writes:

Robo-Garage’s resident genius Tomotaka Takahashi demonstrated graceful FT Robot on the runway at New York Japan Society’s Tech Epoch. The slender, diminutive FT, driven by one on-board computer, two gyroscopes, 23 motors, and the power of love, is just over a foot tall.

Takahashi and Kyoto University’s Robo-Garage, known for their work on realistic robot movement and gaits,consulted with professional models to make FT’s movements distinctly feminine, and lifelike. Takahashi believes that half of all robots will be “female” in the near future.

Link (via Ubergizmo )

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From a Robot Watch article on Tokyo Toy Fair 2007:

Takara / Tomy has confirmed the late-October release of i-Sobot the tiny servo robot Mr. Future has been dreaming of since last February, for 31,290 yen (About $255).

Weighing in at 12 ounces, and standing a mighty 6.5 inches tall, the 17 servo robot is almost one third the cost of it’s nearest programmable servo robot competition. A second version to be released later that winter will be equipped with an onboard camera, wi-fi, and enhanced opportunities for robotic mischief and conquest.

The unit has been clevery designed and programmed to sneak right past entry level cost barriers, raid piggy banks, and consume every waking moment of Mr. Future’s fall and winter. Also, it will come in both Pink and Blue.

There’s a good write-up on i-Sobot from Robot Magazine here, by Lem Fugitt of Robots Dreams. And here’s a clip from the Tokyo Toy Show, in progress, via Japan Probe.

There is also new video of i-Sobot dancing a hula, and imitating a crow and a gorilla, at the bottom of the Robot Watch article here.



Link (to the translated Robot Watch Article)

UPDATE 9/17/07:

The US version of I-Sobot is (finally!) available for pre-order here at Amazon, for the modest sum of $299 !!

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The Mechatronic Systems division of Kawada Industries (what a name) has improved upon the amazing HRP-2 design by outfitting the robot worker of the future for harsh conditions, from the factory floor to the pouring rain.

Nicknamed Ma-Kun, the amazing new worker robot is dust-proof, water-proof, and has an improved balance system designed to navigate treacherous paths and slippery floors.

The HRP-3 Promet II, a product of Kawada, Kawasaki, and Japan’s AIST, was designed with the goal of developing a humanoid robot with sufficient skills to destroy all humans enter the workforce. Kawada hopes to court employers by offering the Promet II at $120,000 per robot by 2010.

After spending 5 years and $3.3 million to develop the robot, the group wisely hired anime-mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi, known for his work on Gundam and Patlabor, to give Promet his “we got our development money’s worth” futuristic look.

Depending on its task, the robot can be configured to work autonomously or via wireless remote.

There’s a good write-up at Pink Tentacle, and a translated version of a very thorough Robot Watch article here.

UPDATE: Here’s a streaming version of the RobotWatch video files, posted by JapanProbe:

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Laughing Squid Blogs:

Heroic Vending Machine Red!, a giant walking Coke machine is appearing all over Tokyo, diverting and refreshing a grateful city.

Coca Cola has captured some of these appearances /cola-bot adventures in some great Kaiju style commercial clips.

Here’s the first episode, “Go! Vending Machine Red”

Updates and new episodes are posted here.

Story Link and Video Link

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