Kyosho plans on releasing two different versions of Manoi based on the same internal design. The original version, as announced last Fall, and a new version, the AT01 that has a different exterior shell and different performance/programming characteristics. The robots are not available for pre-order yet, the website announcement is for customers to enter a lottery for the opportunity to buy one of the first 50 units.

Although Dynamizer (Sugiura Family) does use a master/slave control, it's implemented as a part of the remote control - not via a body harness device. One of the other participating Robo-One robots from Japan - the Great Majingaa - uses the body harness master slave design, and was controlled by the '13 year old boy'.

We managed to locate an online video clip of the FT robots first trip down the fashion runway - http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/04/robo_garage_fem.html

No, unfortunately the fingers don't move. Still, the robot does look, and move, very much like the original. This online video - http://www.robot-fan.net/spot/spot075.html - shows the VStone robot Gigantor towering above the streets of Osaka.

There are a few errors or omissions in the original report. First, this is actually the second version of the robot. VStone introduced the first version last year as a limited edition and sold out all 200 units in less than a week. That model was based on the Tetsujin 28 movie released here in Japan in 2005. The new robot model is based on the Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor) that appeared in the television series. Production this time is limited to 100 units, and they expect to sell out quickly. There's more information based on the original VStone press release posted on our robotics blog here: http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/03/new_gigantor_te.html

The video is there. Apparently Youtube, where I have it hosted, wasn't available for a short period of time, but it's working okay now.

The demonstration at Robo-One in Tokyo last Saturday went pretty well out in the exhibitor's hallway. The technology actually functions and does a reasonable job. Unfortunately under the bright, high contrast stage lighting in the ring the robot appeared to be unable to successfully recognize the subject as you can see from this video clip we took- http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/03/funny_face_robo.html

It was able to recognize hand movements and strike back at them, and to react.

Actually a lot of the parts and mechanisms are LEGOS as you can see in the screenshots from this video- http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/03/lego_bartender_.html

Mr. Kennedy's concerns may, in the long term, turn out to be valid - time will tell.

Just by way of background, the Hitachi press release (in Japanese, of course) doesn't make any specific claims about the robot platform they used nor does it claim that they designed the entire robot. They do talk about the software and application that they developed, which might indicate that it was layered on top of a commercially available robot. They were scheduled to present a paper at a technical conference here in Japan earlier this week, hence the timing of the press release.

According to Hitachi's Japanese press release and newspaper articles here in Japan, the robot can follow a set course of guard rounds by itself and adds additional surveillance functionality by being able to pan & tilt to look under tables or over dividers. It in addition to the on-board camera, it has laser sensors that allow it to map its surroundings in 3D space and adjust for small positioning or perspective variations. They put out the press release this week since they are presenting a research paper on it at a technical conference here.

http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/03/a_robot_straigh.html

The robot is still in the research/proof of concept stage, and they have no firm schedule to commercialize it.