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Robovie the talking robot gets schooled by elementary students
Higashihikari elementary school welcomed a robot through its doors this week. A new model Robovie will join the Japanese school's students for classes over 14 months, aiming to gain sentience strike up interactions with multiple people -- and learn from it. The Robovie's conversation level is apparently equal to a five-year-old child, although it's been augmented with all the know-how of a fifth-grade science textbook and preloaded with 119 facial photos and voiceprints of teachers and students. It's the first long-term project for the International Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute's 1.2-meter bot, with the scientists reckoning that the school environment should offer its robot major input.
World's first robot marathon gets off to a slow start, will likely stay that way
It might take them a good 92 hours longer than the fastest human runners, but a group of five pint-sized humanoids have officially embarked on the world's first full-length robot marathon. The Robo Mara Full, put on by Japanese robotics company Vstone, kicked off this week in Osaka, Japan, and will see the mechanized competitors through a 42 kilometer (26 mile) race, estimated to last several days. During the marathon, entrants will circle a 100-meter indoor track a total of 422 times with little help from their human coaches -- contact is only permitted during battery and servo replacement. Vstone's Robovie-PC led the pack at the outset, but with three days left to go, it's still any robot's game. You can check out a live feed of all the, uh, slow and furious action at the coverage link below, and get a full overview of the race, complete with embarrassing translation, by following the source link.
Robovie R3 all set to assist, freak out elderly and handicapped shoppers this November (video)
The Robovie R3 is the latest in a distinguished line of humanoid bots developed for the purposes of research, discovery, and (a tiny bit of) geeky fun. Following its predecessor's footsteps -- the R2 secured employment as a guide to lost shoppers -- the R3 will be making its mall debut in November of this year, where it'll assist people by carrying their shopping, providing information about nearby products, and holding their hand as it guides them through the crowds. Intended as a way to get elderly and handicapped people back out into the community, this is part of a viability study for the robot's usefulness, and if it finds success maybe its anime eyes and dalek form factor will find their way outside Japan as well. Video of the R3 after the break.
ATR and VStone debut 'life-sized' Robovie R3 humanoid robot
It's been less than a month since the iPod touch-based Robovie-mR2 rolled into our hearts, but the folks at ATR and Vstone have now already moved on to their next creation: the Robovie R3 humanoid robot. Designed primarily to aid in research involving the elderly or disabled, the R3 is apparently "life-sized," and packs 11 touch sensors throughout its body, along with a pair of USB cameras for eyes, two microphones and a speaker, an optional laser range finder, and a top speed of 2.5 kilometers per hour. It's also apparently reasonably adept at getting around, with it able to move omnidirectionally and overcome small changes in floor height, and able to lend a hand thanks to its "gripper hands." Of course, "research" is the operative word here, as this particular bot will only be made available to various institutions working with robots, and at the decidedly un-consumer-friendly price of ¥3,800,000 (or just over $41,000).
Robovie-mR2's puppy dog eyes make it the perfect spy
This Robovie isn't a dexterous grabber, a powerful computer or a walking tank like its Vstone counterparts. No, at first blush, the Robovie-mr2 is just your average designer Japanese cutebot, albeit one with an iPod Touch for a heart, but that's exactly why this one foot tall bot makes the perfect spycam. No one would suspect it hides 18 servo motors, a miniature CCD camera, speakers and microphone inside its demure, puppy dog exterior (hear it speak Japanese after the break), much less that you can directly control every movement over WiFi. And even should they catch your Robovie eavesdropping, they'd be hard pressed to execute a being with such powerful charm. Hit up the gallery if you don't believe us -- this robot knows just how to beg for its life. %Gallery-88939%
Robovie rescue bot hunts high and low for lost princesses (video)
If you've been feeling blue because you haven't got enough green to keep the old bank account in the black, we've got just the tonic for you, dear friend. There's nothing that gets us all perked up and cheerful quite like an adorable humanoid robot negotiating an obstacle course in the performance of a rescue mission. In fact, if you layer on your own "save the princess" narrative atop the on-screen events, the pep in your step should be back in no time. The smile-inducing video can be found after the break.
Video: Vstone's Robovie-PC robot gets Intel Atom inside, becomes world's most awesome computer
For a robo hobbyist, the process of developing a creation's custom programming can be a chore. Make a change on a computer, connect the bot, download the change, then set the little guy free and wait for him to fall over. When he does, tweak that custom programming, rinse, and repeat. The Robovie-PC from Vstone turns that on its head, with the robot itself becoming the computer. It has a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, dual USB ports, a VGA connector, and even Wi-Fi. There's a 1.3 megapixel camera on its head, which shows a lot of potential in the remote control demonstration vid below. Since the robot is the computer, able to run Windows or Linux, advanced functionality should be much easier to achieve. We're envisioning a little security guard who uploads images directly to the internet, or who taunts cats and takes pictures of their reactions. Naturally, those taunts won't come cheap; the 15-inch tall bot will cost ¥399,999, or about $4,500. That's quite a premium when compared to the company's $540 Robovie-nano announced a few weeks ago, but we think you should go ahead and splurge. [Via Plastic Pals]
Video: Vstone's tiny Robovie-nano robot drives the lane, jumps, shoots, scores retail availability
There is certainly no shortage of humanoid robots conspiring to attack your savings, but few look to offer the combination of tiny size and amazing dexterity of the Robovie-nano, the little guy from Vstone who is now shipping to would-be Dr. Frankensteins. He's just 230mm tall (about nine inches) and weighs 575g (about a pound and a quarter), but looks to be at least as nimble as larger forebearers and is far cheaper than most, costing just ¥49,350 ($540) to start -- less than a set of those sweet robot hands we spotted last week. For that you won't get the optional "gripper shaft" mitts shown above, or the paintable Lexan bodywork he sports in the video after the break, but nobody ever said a robot needs clothes, right? %Gallery-73439% [Via Impress]
Crowd-monitoring humanoid helps lost mall patrons, likely freaks them out
We've witnessed our fair share of Robovies, and let's just say we've a healthy fear of 'em. That being said, we're fairly certain we'd come darn close to fainting or reacting violently should the creature pictured above approach us while shopping ever. Nevertheless, this humanoid is apparently allowed to run amok at Universal Citywalk Osaka as the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute tests out its ability to interpret signals from cameras, sensors and RFID readers and determine which patrons are thoroughly lost. When it recognizes a stumped individual, it wheels over, confirms their state of confusion and politely offers directions to their destination of choice. Still, tell us you could seriously look down at those eyes and not completely forget where you were trying to go -- we triple-dog dare you.[Via Tech Digest]
Vstone goes affordable with Robovie-i
Our favorite consumer robotics firm has just announced a new addition to their lineup, but unlike their other multi-thousand dollar offerings, Vstone's new build-it-yourself Robovie-i will retail for a very affordable $270 when the pre-order period begins in July. You may remember the Japanese company as manufacturing such humanoid bots as the soccer-playing Manus-I and Robovie-V, or the Gigantor-like Tetsu-jin 28, although at less than 10% of the cost of its comrades, you can't expect the 2-foot tall Robovie-i to display the skills or freedom of movement found in other members of its family. In fact, a video of the new model-- which will come in your choice of red, white, blue, or gold -- shows that it does little more than wobble drunkenly back and forth in an amusing attempt at forward motion, although dumping two of them in a sumo ring together elicits a good 15 seconds worth of dizzying action (not exciting ROBO-ONE-type action, mind you, but more like ho-hum Rock'em Sock'em Robot-esque action).[Via ployer]
