Sony's Rolly speakerbot on video

If you don't get nauseated by watching things spin round and round, over and over, you might wanna check out Akihabara News' HD video of Sony's upcoming Rolly speakerbot performing its limited suite of dance moves (embedded after the break), which should give you a good sense of whether or not you'll want to save up a little more money and go with Miuro the robotic iPod dock instead.

SONY ROLLY Hands-on
Uploaded by AkihabaraNews

[Dias @ Sep 10th 2007 10:58AM]

Well, you can't deny the fact that it's pretty cool.

[Danbo @ Sep 10th 2007 11:07AM]

And how is that? It's an overpriced gimmick item by Sony. I can see this maybe being exciting for 2 hours tops. It's kind of like what the iDog was, but $300 more expensive. If it comes out here, watch it be in the bargain bins within months.

[Dias @ Sep 10th 2007 11:11AM]

Nobody said it was cheap...

[giuliop @ Sep 10th 2007 12:01PM]

If by "cool" you mean utterly stupid, well yes, then it is.

[Dias @ Sep 10th 2007 1:27PM]

Here you can get correct definition of "cool", plz use that dictionary next time.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cool

[john @ Sep 10th 2007 1:38PM]

You guys just don't understand the point of the product. It's not for playing music, it's not to watch roll around your floor.

No.

You take it to the other side of town and drop it off. It finds it's way back to your house while passing cute asian girls who can't help but follow it.

[Steven @ Sep 10th 2007 1:46PM]

Actually, I can deny the fact that it's "cool." This is the biggest waste of company money since the Foleo, and we all know how that turned out.....

[Mic2000 @ Sep 10th 2007 4:24PM]

Respect for you John, funnies comment of Engadget 2007, give him a XBOX Live Gold too ;)

[suv4x4 @ Sep 10th 2007 6:06PM]

Props to John for his funny comment ;)

However, I honestly don't understand the point of this thing. If it was a virtual pet with some basic intelligence and emotion-simulation, then I'd see the point, and maybe be in line to buy one of those.

But here's what Sony said:

"Sony, which withdrew from robot technology development due to its financial difficulties, said the new product was an audio product first and foremost."

I prefer my audio products to actually pull out good sound, or be probably compensate quality with being very mobile. iPod nano beats Rolly in both of those, and in price.

And I plain don't see what's so cool about its flaps and spinning. It's already boring when I had to watch this free video, I can't imagine paying hundreds of dollars to watch this poor thing spin and flap in front of me for hours.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 10th 2007 11:00AM]

It's neat, but how does it sound??

[Rob @ Sep 10th 2007 11:01AM]

And the point of this P.O.S. is ???
Man, that has got to give you a headache in 30 seconds. The closing and opening of the speaker area changes the frequency of the audio, giving you a shifting effect that can get annoying pretty quickly. Try covering your ears every 5 seconds, one at a time, while listening to a song. You'll get dizzy.

What in the world is Sony doing? This would probably make some money in Japan, and maybe Asia. For some reason some people in that area get amused by this kind of garbage.

[paloooz @ Sep 10th 2007 11:02AM]

The opening and closing of the speaker flaps does not change the frequency of the sound, it modulates the sound. Thing "wah wah wah" instead of "do re me fa so la te do."

[Rob @ Sep 10th 2007 11:09AM]

No it doesn't modulate it in a pleasant manner.
It changes the sound by introducing a "shifting" effect that gets annoying really fast. Pay closer attention to the video and you'll hear the sound changing. Plus, the fact that the thing turns around, amplifies that "shifting" effect I mentioned earlier.

So, you have two flaps opening and closing opposite to each other, the main unit doing 360 degree turns. Those two things will change the qualities of the sound. I want my music to be reproduced as close to the original source as possible. Even the iDog is a better toy than this. At least the iDog doesn't introduce any additional nonsense to your audio signal.

This is nonsense. Is this the same team in charge of Blu-Ray? We're doomed.

[paloooz @ Sep 10th 2007 11:25AM]

You are speaking of modulation. The frequency of the audio (pitch) is unaffected.

[Oddjob @ Sep 10th 2007 8:11PM]

+1 To Palooz. "Shifting" is not a technical term. GGKTHXBAI

[Yubastard @ Sep 10th 2007 1:15PM]

dude,go fetch yourself a pair of those new $25,000 Meridian digital speakers Engadget wrote about... it may satisfy your need of unadulterated audio

[aeo @ Sep 10th 2007 11:01AM]

This just makes me miss AIBO.

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 10th 2007 11:48AM]

Its hard not to love this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m2LVj1CNPw

[Ellianth @ Sep 10th 2007 11:59AM]

Engadget should write an open letter to Sony to bring back the dog and make the ps3 free :D.

[cmoore @ Sep 10th 2007 1:16PM]

makes me miss QRIO then AIBO

[garten @ Sep 10th 2007 11:01AM]

What's the sens of this thing?

I mean who need a gadget, which is shaking like a freak?

[Oddjob @ Sep 10th 2007 8:11PM]

I mean, who needs, a comma, where, it doesn't, belong?

[Xzavier @ Sep 10th 2007 1:05PM]

I think with all those 90* and 180* turns and those rings of changing lights. This thing will make the ULTIMATE K/A traffic *robotic* cop in the future!

Robocop... eat your "positronic matrix" out!

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 10th 2007 11:02AM]

I like it

[Ellianth @ Sep 10th 2007 11:19AM]

me too!

[Yubastard @ Sep 10th 2007 1:07PM]

me three! :)

[Ellianth @ Sep 10th 2007 11:04AM]

This is my first time seeing it with something else. It's way smaller than I imagined.

[Ellianth @ Sep 10th 2007 11:22AM]

ok, I seem to be replying to this post too much. Does anyone know the name of the first song? I think I like it :p.

[jilie @ Sep 10th 2007 11:05AM]

no i don't want to save up a little more money and go with Miuro the robotic iPod dock, Iditch! Down with Engadget!

[mewantphone @ Sep 10th 2007 11:09AM]

the kids would love that, but the dog would break it.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 10th 2007 11:17AM]

I'll pay your dog to break it.

Someone will be over with the forms in an hour or so.

[zfurie @ Sep 10th 2007 11:14AM]

Well if you get one, ur one step closer to be living in a real-life Anime movie.

Next stop real-life Hentai.

[Zeek @ Sep 10th 2007 2:46PM]

Like an object from an old movie about a future I'm glad I don't live in.

[Andy @ Sep 10th 2007 11:22AM]

Why?

I think that's the only question that Sony need to be asked...

WHY??????

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 11th 2007 8:13AM]

Why not?

[Andy @ Sep 11th 2007 8:16AM]

because it's completely and utterly pointless and adds nothing to an already overcrowded market.

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 11th 2007 8:57AM]

Yeah, there's a terribly crowded market for toys that spin around, dance and play music.

[Gustavo @ Sep 10th 2007 11:26AM]

I received a email from Sony Style:
http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/rolly/products/index.html
( with video and explanations )

Launch september 10
Price: 39,800円

Specs: http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Qnavi/Detail/SEP-10BT.html

[Ang @ Sep 10th 2007 11:34AM]

Unbelievable amount of SONY hate happening at this site lately, it's like they took your first born or insulted your girl / boyfriend?

They're only and electronics company for f*ck sake that make cool things.

[SubGenius @ Sep 10th 2007 1:27PM]

No that is exactly the problem... they USED TO make cool things.
Sony has lost its spark.

[suv4x4 @ Sep 10th 2007 6:12PM]

Can you honestly look at this monstrocity and call it cool? I could almost cry watching QRIO walk around, and AIBO was as cool as it can possibly be.

I also have Sony Ericcsson phone and a Sony TV.

And yet, Rolly is a POS with no reason to exist, I'm so sorry about this.

[TC @ Sep 10th 2007 11:37AM]

I bet you that if Apple rolls that out as the iRolly, people will drool over it like it will relieve all your sexual fantasies.

[Ellianth @ Sep 10th 2007 1:25PM]

I had a similar thought when i saw most of these "why?" comments.

[suv4x4 @ Sep 10th 2007 6:20PM]

The flaws of this speculation are two:

- Apple has released duds, and people have in fact not reacted well to them (I mean hell, watch people react bad to a PRICE CUT, maybe Apple customers are not so indiscriminate after all).

- Apple would never release this poor thing as iRolly since they know better.

[MacFly @ Sep 10th 2007 11:45AM]

only good thing about this rollout are the models.

[SubGenius @ Sep 10th 2007 1:30PM]

You've got to be kidding!
They look like old and busted, second-string tech models.
SONY is even cutting corners in this department.

[souravgh @ Sep 10th 2007 1:31PM]

.....proving that ur taste in females is weaker than ur taste in crazy dancing robots.

[Galley @ Sep 10th 2007 2:22PM]

They're not exactly the best-looking models I've ever seen, but I'll take one for the Endgadget team and volunteer to "hit it".

[Tony @ Sep 10th 2007 3:23PM]

it's so you keep your eyes off the models and on the rolling—thing!

[suv4x4 @ Sep 10th 2007 6:16PM]

"only good thing about this rollout are the models."

The catch here is they'd sell you anything in the photo but the models. But you're welcome to look at the photo as much as you want.