VIA shows off EPIA Pico-ITX-based robots

VIA may be ditching its traditional motherboard business, but it looks like its not wasting any time in stepping up its efforts to get its more specialized boards and chipsets into as many devices as possible, and it's now taken advantage of the Taipei International Robot Show to show off their potential for robotics. Leading the way is Lynxmotion's Johnny 5 robot above (yes, that's actually its name), which has been outfitted with VIA's new EPIA P700 board and VX800 unified chipset just for the show. That, VIA says, offers a whole host of advantages over other systems, including "far easier" software development. Of course, VIA also sees plenty of potential beyond hobby kits, with it also showing off an EPIA Mini-ITX-based version of the Vecna Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (or BEAR), and it touting the benefits of its Pico-ITX platform for all sorts of "extremely space constrained robotics designs."

[Via Far East Gizmos]

[Shadowise @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:54PM]

Jonny 5 is alive...

Me wanty.

[Alex @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:58PM]

here comes the madcaps and high jinks!

[Cairn @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:07PM]

You can buy the Johnny 5 kit now. It's been available for a while, but with other electronics (not the VIA set-up as in the article). I have one of their Hexapods and it always gets lots of attention at robot demonstrations.

Johnny5: http://www.lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=103

[Rocko @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:56PM]

It would be a lot more beneficial to our society if robots were fueled on Coca-Cola, and not on the blood of the innocents.

[Alex @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:02PM]

gotta love this phantom comment system. at least there's a nifty new login though.

[Stiv @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:03PM]

If anyone makes a robotic overlord joke I, Stiv the Pantomime Horse, will come to your home or office and poo on your chair!

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:46PM]

You are not a real horse. You are two men dressed in a costume.

So does that mean I get two human poos?

[Stiv @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:24PM]

I am a real horsie! I am, I am I am!

[phanbouy @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:52PM]

"I hope they don't shoot the canon into my bum and make poo poo go all over the place!"

-Tom Green

[Stiv @ Aug 22nd 2008 3:10PM]

My bum is on the dog,
My bum is on the cat,
My bum is on the phone,
My bum is all alone.

-also Tom Green.

[dvsbstrd @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:09PM]

I'm cueing up my Bonnie Tyler tape for the impending boat chase.

[Kamokazi @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:15PM]

"Johnny 5 robot above (yes, that's actually its name)"

Judging by that remark, I take it you haven't seen Short Circuit?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091949/

[404 @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:33PM]

It doesn't deserve to be called Johnny 5 until it has a laser and makes quips like "Yo laser lips! Yer mudda was a snow-blower!"

[ilh @ Aug 23rd 2008 9:25AM]

Or he could be just making sure we didn't think he was just making a joke referring to the film.

[Marc @ Aug 25th 2008 12:31AM]

No disassemble johnny 5 !

Now where is the shoulder mounted laser, er... Toolbox?

[GaryZ @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:05PM]

Johnny 5 kit is actually on sale by Lynxmotion quite a while ago. VIA just slapped on a pico-ITX as its central control unit...

[Chris @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:11PM]

No Disassemble, Stephanie!!!

[Chad @ Aug 22nd 2008 3:01PM]

@Chris
Your quotation was like "The Notebook" (2004 film) for my childhood. For a moment, I felt like I was 8 years old again. Thank you for that.

[alex @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:39PM]

All I have to say, Who's Johnny?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jaWPQ3Z7FE

[Chad @ Aug 22nd 2008 3:02PM]

Johnny Roll

[Rick @ Aug 22nd 2008 3:15PM]

That VIA robot won't sell. it doesn't have big sad eyes like Wall-E

[Cal @ Aug 22nd 2008 4:33PM]

Hey it's Wall-E!!! Oh, wait...

[DGT @ Aug 22nd 2008 5:05PM]

NO DISASSEMBLE!

[xamax @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:27PM]

JOHNNY 5 !!!!!!!! i think somebody already said it but what the hell "JOHNNY 5"

[Troglodad @ Aug 23rd 2008 9:29AM]

Well that figures. The same year gay marriage passes in California, Wall E and Johnny Five get together...

(Shudder)

[toyotaboy @ Aug 25th 2008 1:31PM]

Hit it with lightning so it can become self aware!