Keepon dancing robot busts moves, hearts
By Donald Melanson 
posted Mar 23rd 2007 3:14AM
posted Mar 23rd 2007 3:14AM
While robots capable of kinda sorta dancing along with music are hardly anything new, few can match the moves this recently developed "Keepon" robot is capable of busting out -- without arms or legs, no less. Developed by Carnegie Mellon's Marek Michalowski and Hideki Kozima of Japan's National Institute of Communications Technology, the little yellow bot uses a gimbal-based system to move through about as full a range of motions as two spheres are capable of, and is able to react to visual stimulation in addition to music thanks to some built-in cameras. Sadly, this dancing machine remains confined to the lab for the time being, although you can check out a couple of videos of it in action by clicking on the read link below.[Via New Scientist]
I found a site with lots of them! www.cmu.edu/robou
Hi everybody!
I'd like to get a keepon robot such this. Please help me how can I buy this. I'm a Hungarian girl and I don't know wheter I would buy one in my country. I would be so happy if someone would send me some information. Thanks!
Holy crap! The little thing hears things in the music that I don't notice until it starts dancing to them.
Damn cute, too.
Holy crap! I totally want one of those for my dashboard! WAY cooler (and cuter) than any bobble-head!
I don't want to get all Asimovian like I tend to but I'm pretty sure most robots WANT to be told to do this and would be happy to do so.
That is if the ending of the movie "Robots" taught me anything at all.
I have had the opportunity to meet with Hideki Kozima and listen to him do a talk on Keepon and various other robots. The breakthrough here is the usage of the robots in therapy; Keepon was very successful at helping researchers understand human-robot interaction when it was placed in a Japanese daycare/therapy centre that helped autistic children. When placed within a "normal" daycare, the children bonded with Keepon almost instantly....quite different from the therapy centre.
It is important to note that Keepon was operated via a human operator for these two situations. The environment was too complex to program for. However, Keepon does have programming to operate autonomously when it is in a simpler environment (i.e. single child interaction).
That's so friggin cute! I want one. Wayyyyyyyy better than the dancing coke can. (Sorry dancing coke can fans)
I gather there will be something like this available for home use in the near future.
i think this robot is soo cool
id enjoy wathcing it at the end of my bed
ouncing to the beats ima listening to innit. ]
;
OMG!! I want one now! I'll pay $500 for one if i can get it by Christmas. That thing is the cutest. If they ever market it, they'll make millions. Especially if they can come in different colors.
Awesome stuff, Thanks Spoon for bringing it out in the open.
I seriously need one Keepon to dance to my music...
LMAO
im gay
yes
:)
i am not gay SOPHIE BIRCH IS!!!!!
SOPHIE BIRCH IS GAY
lisa nichols
is a big
fat
butch
lesbian
:]
indeed i am a leisiban but im not butch!!!! im a girky girl!!!!
get over yourself :)
sophie i want your babies!!! n tough i will be getin your nu number you no you want me all you need to do is addmit it to the world!!!
take my hand in marriage and we'll be the happiest lesibian couple in the world!!!
i love you
i want you badly!!! you are my world!! my sophie!!!
wats my mum got to do with this
Keepon is sooooooo cute! I found more more of him on You Tube. Check out the vids at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yC0n3RahCE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1H4JlJcIhc. He looks like a marshmallow peep!