Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[PALRO robot masters English, will never shut up again (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/palro-robot-masters-english-will-never-shut-up-again-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/palro-robot-masters-english-will-never-shut-up-again-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/palro-robot-masters-english-will-never-shut-up-again-video/#commentsPALRO robot masters English, will never shut up again (video) When first we saw Fujisoft's PALRO robot doing its thing we were charmed but, as it didn't speak English, we had to adore it from afar. No longer. The little critter has obviously mastered our language quite quickly and can be seen below chatting with an even more robotic humanoid about such idle things as the weather, career aspirations, and just how great PALRO is. How great is PALRO? PALRO is really great -- but humble. Inside that barrel chest is a full-fledged PC with an Atom Z530 processor, 4GB of flash storage, and an Ubuntu kernel keeping everything in check. It's available as ever for educational and research institutions for about $3,600, but we're trying to get one ourselves. If we can get it to type prepare yourselves for many more posts about software based on real Japanese cutting-edge technology.

Continue reading PALRO robot masters English, will never shut up again (video)

PALRO robot masters English, will never shut up again (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atomenglishfujisofthumanoidhumanoid robotHumanoidRobotinteljapanlinuxpalrorobotspeech recognitionSpeechRecognitionubuntuvideoFri, 21 Jan 2011 07:31:00 EST<![CDATA[PALRO the robot gets upgraded to 2.0, gets improved face & body tracking, is as cute as ever (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/palro-the-robot-gets-upgraded-to-2-0-gets-improved-face-and-body/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/palro-the-robot-gets-upgraded-to-2-0-gets-improved-face-and-body/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/palro-the-robot-gets-upgraded-to-2-0-gets-improved-face-and-body/#commentsPALRO the robot gets upgraded to 2.0, gets improved face & body tracking, is as cute as ever (video) Oh PALRO, you'd already won our hearts with that dirty dancing routine you learned over the summer, and heaven knows you're cute as a button. Now, though, you have the brains to match those looks. Fujisoft has upgraded PALRO's software to version 2.0, which comes with some impressive face, body, and object tracking. The little guy can now identify a face and track it even if someone turns their head, and likewise can identify a person's body at a distance while walking through a crowded room. With a quick scan of its dome-shaped head PALRO can locate all the objects in a room and, when told to walk to one, will start swinging its arms and strut right to it, dodging wayward keyboards and mice along the way. It's as impressive as it is adorable, and while PALRO still isn't available for sale to the world at large, a price of roughly $3,300 makes means he's well out of our league anyway.

Continue reading PALRO the robot gets upgraded to 2.0, gets improved face & body tracking, is as cute as ever (video)

PALRO the robot gets upgraded to 2.0, gets improved face & body tracking, is as cute as ever (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>body recognitionBodyRecognitionface recognitionFaceRecognitionfuji softFujiSoftjapanobject identificationObjectIdentificationpalrorobotvideoTue, 02 Nov 2010 18:18:00 EST<![CDATA[PALRO buddies with its first apps, busts new moves on video]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/20/palro-buddies-with-its-first-apps-busts-new-moves-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/20/palro-buddies-with-its-first-apps-busts-new-moves-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/20/palro-buddies-with-its-first-apps-busts-new-moves-on-video/#comments Well, that didn't take long. Just a few months after Fujisoft's PALRO was formally introduced to the Japanese education segment, said humanoid is now set to receive a host of new applications as well as become useful as a people tracker. It's bruited that PALRO will soon gain a Twitter client (to read tweets aloud as best it can), a cooking app, a Japanese word game and remote monitoring abilities (among others), but it's unclear how these obviously commercial apps will help / not help the robot inch closer to a citizen's release. In related news, PALRO has been spotted with a few newfound abilities, namely the instinct to track people and objects via its built-in camera. We'll spare you the rhetoric on why teaching these things to watch our every move is a tragic, tragic mistake, but feel free to peek the video after the break if you're brushing the inevitable downfall of mankind off as a silly rumor.

Continue reading PALRO buddies with its first apps, busts new moves on video

PALRO buddies with its first apps, busts new moves on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firmwarefirmware updateFirmwareUpdatefujisofthumanoidhumanoid robotHumanoidRobotjapanpalrorefreshrobotsoftwaretracktrackingupgradevideoFri, 20 Aug 2010 04:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Fujisoft's PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/fujisofts-palro-humanoid-robot-in-the-running-to-be-our-new-bes/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/fujisofts-palro-humanoid-robot-in-the-running-to-be-our-new-bes/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/fujisofts-palro-humanoid-robot-in-the-running-to-be-our-new-bes/#comments

Fujisoft's recently taken the wraps off its latest companion bot, and they call this one PALRO. PALRO's 39 centimeters tall (just over a foot), and boasts a 1.6GHz CPU Intel Atom CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of flash memory, a 3 MP camera, Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g/n, and a lithium ion battery to top it all off. He's also equipped with a 3 megapixel webcam, but don't worry -- his specs don't make him unapproachable. As you'll see in the video which is after the break, PALRO's probably the kind of guy that you could spend a lot of time with... but see for yourself. Fujisoft plans to start shipping units in March for 300,000 yen (that's about $3,300 ). Hit up the source link for a lot more video.

Continue reading Fujisoft's PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud

Fujisoft's PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fujisofthumanoidhumanoid robotHumanoidRobotjapanpalrorobotTue, 02 Feb 2010 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Fuji Soft's new humanoid is powered by Atom and Ubuntu]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/fuji-softs-new-humanoid-is-powered-by-atom-and-ubuntu/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/fuji-softs-new-humanoid-is-powered-by-atom-and-ubuntu/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/fuji-softs-new-humanoid-is-powered-by-atom-and-ubuntu/#comments The world needs humanoids, and Fuji Soft is heeding that call. It just unveiled its new humanoid line at the ever-popular All Japan Robot Tournament, and while the robot doesn't have a model name yet, one of the delightful personalities pictured above is named Sakura-Chan and both seem pretty keen on a bit of robo-Sumo. The mobility and capabilities of the bots seems pretty standard, with an LED visor for facial expressions, speech recognition and a camera for taking in this odd carbon-based world it finds itself in. What's more interesting is the Robovie-style off-the-shelf parts inside: Atom CPU, Ubuntu OS and WiFi, all of which are compatible with the Eclipse development environment. The robot should be hitting the streets (of Japan) in early 2010 for a supposedly competitive price. Video is after the break.

Continue reading Fuji Soft's new humanoid is powered by Atom and Ubuntu

Fuji Soft's new humanoid is powered by Atom and Ubuntu originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atomfuji softFujiSofthumanoidrobotsumosumo robotSumoRobotubuntuMon, 21 Dec 2009 21:56:00 EST<![CDATA[CinemaNow launches Wii movie streaming service in Japan]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/25/cinemanow-launches-wii-movie-streaming-service-in-japan/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/25/cinemanow-launches-wii-movie-streaming-service-in-japan/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/25/cinemanow-launches-wii-movie-streaming-service-in-japan/#comments
CinemaNow, the company that's over the years brought streaming content (and often Frisbees) to such varied devices as the Samsung P2, various Dell PCs, and the Xbox 360, has announced that it's partnering with Fujisoft to deliver flicks to the Nintendo Wii. The service will initially launch in Japan, subjecting our friends to the East to such Paramount Pictures fare as Hotel For Dogs and Madagascar 2: Return of the Sassy Cartoon Animals, but we're fairly confident that a Stateside launch is in our future. In related news, cult film director Tommy Wiseau is reportedly negotiating with Chintendo to bring his inadvertent comedies to the Vii game platform.

Continue reading CinemaNow launches Wii movie streaming service in Japan

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CinemaNow launches Wii movie streaming service in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chintendo viiChintendoViiCinemaNowFujisoftjapanmoviemoviesnintendo wiiNintendoWiiparamountparamount picturesParamountPicturessonicSonic SolutionsSonicSolutionsstreaming contentstreaming moviestreaming videoStreamingContentStreamingMovieStreamingVideotommy wiseauTommyWiseauwiiThu, 25 Jun 2009 17:03:00 EST