RTML
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Meet MI-RAI-RT, from the maker of AIBO
Sony, after your futile attempt to scorch the Earth of our beloved robot dog, prepare to meet thy maker. MI RAI-RT, from AIBO's creator Tomoaki Kasugi now of Speecys Corp, is the latest all singing, all dancing robot, all growed-up and ready for release upon Japan. In addition to reading you the news downloaded over its 802.11g WiFi module, MI RAI-RT (which presumably translates to "future judgement" in Japanese) will teach your family English and deliver "3D messages" via RTML -- yes, that'd be Robot Transaction Markup Language -- which entails reading emails or other message types with appropriately intimidating body language. Weighing in at just 13-inches and 3.3-pounds, he won't be grinding execs into a human sausage all on his own, but he's apparently capable of terrorizing the shiznit out of your kids right from the box. Expect critical density to build starting October 31st when these drop for a ¥294,000 or about $2,495.[Via Robot Gossip]
"Internet Renaissance Robot" shuns chores, entertains instead
Ah, just what we needed, another way to digest media floating around the interwebs. This time it's a robot that wants to present us with info, but instead of merely reading text off of an RSS feed or blaring a few music streams, the ITR bot works with its very own "RTML" language to present media with motion, voice, and emotion. Of course, this means content developers will have to create RTML content to be displayed by the humanoid bot, but it's an interesting concept at least, and we look forward to seeing what happens. We can't say we're as optimistic as the Speecy Corporation, which dreams of the ITR being fifth major form of household media after radio, TV, PC, and mobile phone. The robot itself runs on a NetBSD-based OS, houses 168 LEDS, stereo speakers, a USB port, and a miniSD slot.[Via Pink Tentacle]
