ZMP sells bi-ped robot source code to spur development, uprising

Tokyo-based ZMP has already teamed up with a consortium of other Japanese companies to take on the encroaching robot threat from South Korea, and it's now taken another step to spur on development and released the source code to its nuvo series of robots. Unfortunately, it's not going the open source route, with interested researchers and mad scientists instead required to dole out ¥257,250 (or $2,355) for a package that includes a nuvo robot, the source code, an electrical circuit diagram, three days of training, and an ID to give you access to the nuvo community. You'll also have to sign a non disclosure agreement with ZMP, and if you're not one of the first fifty to sign up, you're out of luck for now. Not exactly casting the widest of nets, but those looking for less expensive, more open robot platforms to play with certainly have plenty of other options to consider.

[Jim Salabim @ Aug 7th 2008 2:11PM]

nice hair...

[DYLAN C @ Aug 7th 2008 2:14PM]

Lol ya, i noticed that also. Crazy japanese!

[Artie Lange @ Aug 7th 2008 2:40PM]

He's the Japanese Morrissey. Except he spells it "Mo-ru-se". And instead of singing thinly-veiled metaphors about homosexual encounters, he builds robots.

[Mycroft @ Aug 7th 2008 4:19PM]

His head is also really large...

[Jim Salabim @ Aug 7th 2008 2:12PM]

fail!

[DYLAN C @ Aug 7th 2008 2:14PM]

Why is everyone getting so hyped up about tiny robots?

Give me a life sized robot that can do actual tasks (such as walking up a set of steps successfully in under a day) and I will join the bandwagon.

[JMMGoalster @ Aug 7th 2008 2:55PM]

That's like asking why we get so excited about the SSDs that have very little space...because it's progress. Developers can't just pound out a fully functional robot within a year...it takes progress, and this is progress.

[Ian @ Aug 7th 2008 3:31PM]

its because the small ones are still able to be kicked out of the room when they try to kill us

[Artie Lange @ Aug 7th 2008 2:17PM]

The "uprising/overlords" joke is dead.

[simon @ Aug 7th 2008 4:09PM]

I, for one, welcome Artie Lange, our new comment overlord.

[Wwhat @ Aug 7th 2008 4:44PM]

My tiny army of robot rebels will topple his overlordness eventually.

[Najakwa @ Aug 7th 2008 2:30PM]

i'd recommend the optional robot insurance, because robots may strike at any time.

[Mycroft @ Aug 7th 2008 2:44PM]

fail 2.0!

[hfm @ Aug 7th 2008 3:02PM]

I'd recommend he attaches a FlowBee to that robot...

[Jim Salabim @ Aug 7th 2008 3:32PM]

Ha, FlowBee!! I think I'll dust mine off tonight and give myself a trim!!

[Simon @ Aug 7th 2008 3:02PM]

I think they are smart to make such move. Instead of selling robots to regular people, selling this to other Japanese robotics companies and people with interest will simply increase their income.
+ I think his hair is pretty cool

[DYLAN C @ Aug 7th 2008 3:08PM]

Double fail!

[HOOPER @ Aug 7th 2008 5:03PM]

You guys, look at his name. Yelling "FAIL" at him isn't going to make him stop. Just ignore him and he might go away.

[roy. @ Aug 7th 2008 6:46PM]

why don't the spend their resources to work WITH the south koreans instead?

[Alex @ Aug 8th 2008 12:08PM]

considering the NUVO (the robot pictured) was selling for $7000 when it launched a couple years ago ($10,000 for the gold-lacquered "Japanism" version) I think $2500 is a steal! The only problem is for that kind of money I could buy 2 of the hobbyist kits in the same size range.