Pollen-sniffing robots put on duty in Japan

In yet another example of robots getting the short end of stick, a Japanese weather forecasting company is set to deploy a swarm of some 200 pollen-sniffing robots throughout the country, which will warn us humans of any impeding pollen-related dangers (and no doubt scare a few unsuspecting animals in the process). As you can see, the robots are of the spherical variety, and measure a scant one foot across and weigh in at about 2.2 pounds. Sticking true to creepy robot conventions, they also boast glowing eyes, which light up in one of five different colors to indicate the level of pollen in the air. Somewhat curiously, that information takes a rather roundabout way back to the company's headquarters, with 200 allergy suffers volunteering to keep watch on the robots and rely their status back to the company.

[Evilengineer @ Jan 29th 2008 6:15PM]

Is it just me or is that GLaDOS? We're all doomed, at least I have my gas-mask to protect me from the deadly neurotoxins.

[Michael @ Jan 29th 2008 6:19PM]

ooo that thing has numbers on it!

[Moofree @ Jan 29th 2008 6:20PM]

Looks like an opportunity for a hidden mp3 player and speakers.

"ooh what's that? What's that? What's wrong with your legs?"

[Reader @ Jan 29th 2008 8:03PM]

I wanna go to Japan so I can incinerate all those bastards.

[Timothy Sottek @ Jan 29th 2008 8:26PM]

Who are you?

What is that?

Ohhh, what are you doing?

[Faar @ Jan 29th 2008 9:34PM]

I, for one, welcome our new pollen-sniffing robot overlords.

[Beata Yamin @ Jan 29th 2008 10:17PM]

Look its Marvin.

[Andrew @ Jan 30th 2008 1:49AM]

That thing you burnt up isn't important to me. Not anymore. It's the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit; it makes shoes for orphans. Nice job breaking it, hero.

[r3loaded @ Jan 30th 2008 3:05AM]

Now where did I put my portal gun?

[Timerider @ Jan 30th 2008 4:05PM]

I was wondering how quickly someone would say that. Didn't think it would be the first comment though. :)
Neurotoxins detected! *uses portal gun to escape from Japan*

[Timerider @ Jan 30th 2008 4:17PM]

@Reader
Where did you get that pic for your avatar?

[ooglek @ Jan 29th 2008 6:15PM]

"rely their status"

Surely you mean "relay"

FIRST! To point out the grammatical error... hehe

[Blackstar @ Jan 29th 2008 8:30PM]

Kill all humans... must.. kill all humans... kill all humans. Hey, sexy momma... wanna kill all humans?

[John @ Jan 30th 2008 9:48AM]

best dream rambling ever!

[Rocketboy @ Jan 30th 2008 11:28AM]

Look at me! I'm replying to a comment at the top of the page so everyone can bask in my witty genius!

[Blackstar @ Jan 30th 2008 8:28PM]

@ Rocketboy

Welcome to Engadget.

[Rocketboy @ Jan 31st 2008 2:13PM]

No kidding. I just wish there was something we could do about the /b/tards. /B/tardism is epic when applied properly, but when applied via scattershot, it's just a form of i-jerking.

[ByronGman @ Jan 29th 2008 6:16PM]

Looks more like the being of the invasion...

[Miles @ Jan 29th 2008 6:20PM]

This was a triumph!
I'm making a note here:
"HUGE SUCCESS!!"
It's hard to overstate
my satisfaction.
Aperture Science:
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.

I didn't think we'd have GLaDOS joining us for cake so soon!

[Moofree @ Jan 29th 2008 6:23PM]

Look at you, still talking when there's science to do!

[Evan @ Jan 29th 2008 6:23PM]

Marvin - is that you?

[DSeaver @ Jan 29th 2008 6:27PM]

I hoped they come equipped with morality cores. The first time one of them promises me cake, I'm outta here!!

[IndiaTech @ Jan 29th 2008 6:37PM]

Why does Engadget have this facination with weird robots? First that freaky Mall "Quagmire" robot and now this.

Guys PLEASE STOP. You are giving all us nightmares!!!

[DonatoM3 @ Jan 29th 2008 6:51PM]

Because CNN isn't going to be delivering news on these doomsday devices anytime soon.

[Ronald Wan @ Jan 29th 2008 6:42PM]

Tomorrow engadget will see Panties-sniffing robots from the Land of Rising-Sun.

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 6:46PM]

これわなんですか。

[IndiaTech @ Jan 29th 2008 10:37PM]

Have you tried commenting here?

http://japanese.engadget.com/

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 6:46PM]

これわなんですか。

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 6:46PM]

Oh darn you double post!

[whowhatme @ Jan 29th 2008 7:07PM]

わー＞は

せめて日本語を勉強したらポストして下さい。

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 7:47PM]

lol, I forgot that the "wa" particle uses the "ha" hiragana.

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 7:49PM]

semeto nihongo o (some kanji) shitera pusu(some katakana)shite(katakana)sai.

lol, something about practicing my Japanese? I am taking japanese classes, I am a newbie.

[farnarkle @ Jan 29th 2008 9:33PM]

せめて日本語を勉強したら？

したらー＞してから

せめて日本語を勉強してからポストして下さい。

[Ghostly @ Apr 18th 2008 10:29AM]

せめて日本語を勉強したらポストして下さい。
Semete nihongo wo benkyou shitara posuto shite kudasai.
Please at least post when/if you study Japanese.

Now I'm only learning myself but I don't think that meant what you intended.
I assume you meant "at least learn the language before posting"?
Perhaps taking your own advice is in order? :P

[whowhatme @ Jan 29th 2008 11:05PM]

nope, i meant exactly what i said.

japanese lesson of the day:
'benkyoo-sitara' is in the conditional form, meaning if/when X then Y, so 'if/when you study (are regularly studying)'.

in a more nuanced definition, the conditional presupposes an activity X which _has been started (but not necessarily completed)_ before Y takes place. This sets up a condition for doing Y - namely, having done or started X, do Y.

in this particular case, nihongo o benkyoo-sitara posuto site kudasai would mean 'please post if you study (or having studied) japanese.'

semete is a modifier meaning 'at least', which qualifies the entire clause.

so, you can translate this as:

'please post only if you study (or having studied) japanese, at least.' or, a freer translation would be 'at least study japanese before you post.'

[gunboatdiplomacy @ Jan 30th 2008 11:10AM]

to: whowhatme
no. your japanese is fucked, mate. what youve written isnt correct or natural. i appreciate the fact youre learning another language, but dont get all grammar-boy on a fellow learner, tossing out terms like 'conditional' to sound authoritative when it is obvious that you dont know your 穴 from your 肘.

aside from that, like they need robots to tell you that there is pollen in japan. year-round it is sniff sniff sniff. i hate sugi. what makes it worse is that they plant it for the timber industry's sake and everyone runs around with those michael jackson sneeze gauze pads. then they try and talk and all i hear is mmph mmmph mmmphhhh...eeeeh.

[ZeroCorpse @ Jan 30th 2008 5:57PM]

Oh who cares? I mean, most of the people learning Japanese in college today are doing it because they're manga-fanatic otaku japanophiles who will outgrow their fascination with big-eyes-small-mouth comic books in a few years anyway.

I live in a college town, and worked in a bookstore, and I got positively SICK of the hugh number of white kids learning Japanese just so they could read manga or watch anime in the native language. It's just ridiculous.

Learn Japanese if you're going to live in Japan or work with Japanese speakers, but don't waste college credits so you can read Naruto in Japanese.

Anyway, I came here to say one thing: Do the Japanese have to put cute/creepy faces on ALL their robots? I swear, it could be a bomb-sniffing robot, and it would still look like it had a smiling face.

[Rex @ Jan 29th 2008 6:51PM]

"Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to take you to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction, 'cause I don't."

I hope that isn't obscure but it is the first thing that came to my mind.

[Mike @ Jan 29th 2008 7:00PM]

Yeah... those don't look creepy. At all.

[Kyanges @ Jan 29th 2008 7:04PM]

Awwwwww- ARGH!

[Deadman @ Jan 29th 2008 7:12PM]

the cake is a lie
the cake is a lie
the cake is a lie ...

Ya, portal anyone?

[Nathan Wiering @ Jan 29th 2008 9:30PM]

I thought the same thing when I saw the pic....

[iman @ Jan 31st 2008 1:53PM]

this is stupid
and fake

[Erik @ Jan 29th 2008 7:28PM]

"That was my morality core they had installed after I flooded the facility with deadly neurotoxins to stop me from flooding the facility with deadly neurotoxins."

[John Seamann @ Jan 29th 2008 7:40PM]

it does look like Marvin, my fellow hitchhikers.

[Brad @ Jan 29th 2008 8:40PM]

I agree. If only it reported pollen levels in a depressed monotone.

[Reader @ Jan 29th 2008 8:03PM]

Pollen, the new anthrax.

[Timerider @ Jan 30th 2008 4:12PM]

Lol, where did you get that pic?

[Reader @ Jan 30th 2008 9:00PM]

It's a shirt from Penny Arcade

[anonymous @ Jan 29th 2008 8:13PM]

They look a bit.. paranoid