Video: Sunny the weather bot defies explanation

He's winking at us, he loves everyone, and he talks out of his crotch. Say hello to Sunny, NOAA's taxpayer-funded weather bot. Get a load of that Engadget rap!

[YoJIMbo @ Jan 9th 2008 3:40PM]

I have seen this thing at several trade shows... it is so funny! I love it. It however, decided that it would not marry me, or any human for that matter.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 9th 2008 6:42PM]

This so reminds me of the Wizzard of OZ:

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/quotes

[Shane @ Jan 9th 2008 6:56PM]

Yup...This is definitely a tradeshow bot available for rental to different companies. I saw another version of it at the Maxell booth at NAB about 5 years ago.

Not sure who actually makes the bot...

http://www.computerwise.net/News/Chuck%20Mr%20Sprocket.jpg

[Shane @ Jan 9th 2008 9:57PM]

Found more info on the bot...

It is actually named "Sprockit" though many organizations rename it for promotional purposes.

The company who manufactures it is called "Conceptual Visions"
http://conceptualvisions.net/main.html

It can be programmed with (fairly decent) AI for simple conversations or driven by a human operator.

There doesn't appear to be a lot of tech info on the bot although a version was used back in 2001 to pimp SGI products...
http://www.linux.com/feature/7947

[Zeek @ Jan 9th 2008 3:39PM]

Vaguely sexist comment.

[Zeek @ Jan 9th 2008 3:40PM]

Indignant response.

[Zeek @ Jan 9th 2008 3:41PM]

Seconding the indignation.

[Zeek @ Jan 9th 2008 3:43PM]

Shallow defense of sexist comment along the lines of 'c'mon, its harmless, we do it to those LG monitor babes all the time...'

[Zeek @ Jan 9th 2008 3:45PM]

Why aren't we talking about the gadget? type post.

[drakono @ Jan 9th 2008 3:53PM]

Polite request that you stop conversing with yourself and get back to work.

[eliteeggnog @ Jan 9th 2008 3:41PM]

Taxpayer-funded?

I laughed so hard when she put the microphone in his crotch.

[helloUser @ Jan 9th 2008 3:41PM]

that chick is on every news item. is engadget looking for more publicity? did they just learn that sex sells?

[Boynamedsue @ Jan 9th 2008 3:50PM]

i like that just by being female, its a sex sells scenario.

[Jacob @ Jan 9th 2008 4:53PM]

Simply being female is sexist. Or looking at or referring to females. Or talking about any female. Or males, since that's almost "female". You sexists.

[markwilliams4 @ Jan 10th 2008 4:32AM]

Damn, she's so hot she's making me sexist...

[visitingcanada @ Jan 9th 2008 3:46PM]

Mr. Ryan Block,
Veronica is a cutie, but enough already of her in engadget!
I think this blog is loosing it. From now on it should be called "enveronica"?

[bc @ Jan 9th 2008 3:48PM]

i agree. i am tired of seeing her.

[StalkerZERO @ Jan 9th 2008 3:56PM]

Don't you get it? They are making the poor girl do all the legwork so they can concentrate on writing up the blog posts for CES.

[Laurie @ Jan 9th 2008 3:47PM]

in b4 veron-
oh.

[Mike C @ Jan 9th 2008 3:49PM]

Veronica never smiles, hence, she has no teeth.

[OneLove @ Jan 9th 2008 3:52PM]

I love you too veronica...whoo! hooo!

[mike @ Jan 9th 2008 3:52PM]

I wish they had even more of her. She's good with the interviews... And a little video goes a long, long way.
I'm not really feeling most of the these "hands on" engadget posts with a picture gallery...
I mean... what the hell am I supposed to be looking at in those gallerys.. don't know what half the stuff is or how it works or when it's out or how much it will be.... that's not really coverage.
They'd inform a lot more with 20 sec of video and a few quick questions to the reps.

- mike

[OneLove @ Jan 9th 2008 5:06PM]

yeah, picture galley make me mad.

[applefreak @ Jan 9th 2008 5:32PM]

here here!

[jalapeno @ Jan 9th 2008 3:57PM]

These videos with Veronica are great, keep 'em coming guys!

[helloUser @ Jan 9th 2008 4:09PM]

You need a girlfriend.

[jalapeno @ Jan 9th 2008 4:37PM]

Sorry man, I'm already married, some of us like videos that are well done, and these are a hundred time better than the poorly produced crap you find on other sites

[Eric F @ Jan 9th 2008 3:59PM]

she shouldn't have left cnet

[tkulla @ Jan 9th 2008 4:02PM]

Hilarious bit! And now we know that Sunny is bisexual.

I felt bad for V having to point the microphone at his crotch to get his answer. Appropriate, I guess, since many of the comments here are underwear based (both sides). :-)

[Juice @ Jan 9th 2008 4:03PM]

HAHA. I knew it. More Belmont.

I, for one, welcome out new cuter Engadget people. Seriously, just fire all the ugly people and see how that goes... It just might work.

[Paris @ Jan 9th 2008 4:04PM]

They should get her in a bikini.

[Juice @ Jan 9th 2008 4:07PM]

Anyone got a full body shot?

This was such a shamless Belmont post it isn't even funny. It's freakin' CES and they post about Johnny Five. C'mon, at least give us Belmont AND some sweet Tech.

[Juice @ Jan 9th 2008 4:08PM]

That's next.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jan 9th 2008 4:18PM]

Alright Ryan, we get it *waves hands back and forth* your girlfriend is hot ;^)...

[Jason @ Jan 9th 2008 4:21PM]

more pics of the hottie.


kthnxbye

[nd @ Jan 9th 2008 4:21PM]

huh...so sunny is bi-sexual?

and Veronica- i enjoy your posts and videos. as the above commenter pointed out, your videos have been informative and i appreciate your work. and while i do find you attractive, my apologies for the tactless buffoons that continuously made rude comments!

[slice39 @ Jan 9th 2008 4:32PM]

give it up dude.. she's taken..

engadget, do we really need to her mugshot plastered on every goddamn CES post?

[nd @ Jan 9th 2008 4:34PM]

as am i.

[portwineboy @ Jan 9th 2008 4:25PM]

I love these "robots" that speak via a human with a wireless mic. Dumb.

[decypher44 @ Jan 9th 2008 4:30PM]

So, ther is that OTHER convention going on in town. How about sending Veronica to cover that one!?

[Roger @ Jan 9th 2008 4:32PM]

Veronica is hot! 'nuff said.

[Juice @ Jan 9th 2008 4:44PM]

Unfortunately that will not be 'nuff said.

[TIMMAH! @ Jan 9th 2008 4:37PM]

"...and he talks out of his crotch."

And this is different from most guys, how?

[granny down east @ Jan 10th 2008 12:59AM]

oh, YEAH!!

[wrabbit @ Jan 9th 2008 4:38PM]

First time I hear of this bot so maybe this was covered but is its speech computer generated or is there just a guy sitting somewhere talking through a voice scrambler?

'Cause I gotta say I was really impressed by the voice - it got a lot of the intonations right. Other than the robotic voice it almost didn't sound like a machine.

[Brent @ Jan 9th 2008 4:49PM]

Fembots, beware! Veronica is getting chummy with your men!

[OneLove @ Jan 9th 2008 5:08PM]

aka VB.net

[natural mike @ Jan 9th 2008 5:09PM]

I would crawl through a mile of salt-covered broken glass to be with you Veronica!!

I LOVE YOU!

[alpharay @ Jan 9th 2008 6:13PM]

So is Veronica working for her boyfriend now ? or it is just a one time thing for CES ?

[aperture01 @ Jan 9th 2008 5:25PM]

man veronica should be in more pics... lol. at first I was like "ahhh who is this chick" now she should be in everyone. Damn you Ryan!

Oh and the robot is pretty cool too.