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Competition for AIBO: Robo Cat
bruce76 writes, "A Japanese company called Toshihiro Tashima is slated to introduce a robotic cat similar (in concept) to the Sony Aibo. This robotic cat is called Tama," They put fur on it, but the most interesting part is that they claim it can recognize its own name. That's a improvement over Aibo who isn't deaf, but sound doesn't do too much for him.
Hmm.. odd that today's UF is about Five and Dustpuppy.
Is Illiad psycho^Hic or something? (:
The name of the company is Omron, not Toshihiro Tashima! That's the name of the guy that invented the cat. Sheesh! The news behind the news behind the news. Yeah right...
...I'd really like to see someone hack up a catnip.c snippet ;-)
A good deal of the appeal of an AIBO to someone like me is that you've got this thing that's obviously a robot, designed just out of any bad SF movie, but which actually works. Sure, the behaviour's nice but it's mostly just a funky little robot. I'd still go for them if they were half as powerful.
:)
This, OTOH, looks like a rather poor stuffed toy. Now, I don't doubt it does a fantastic job of pretending to be cat, but it just doesn't look as cool. So, unfortunately, I don't want one.
Oh well. Maybe someone will produce a proper AIBO style cat? That I can afford?
Greg
Greg
(Inside a nuclear plant)
Aaaarrrggh! Run! The canary has mutated!
"Yes, it's official. Jesus uses vi."
:)
So crucifixion must have been a relief, I guess.
-- An agnostic VIM user
I hate to say it, but I can hear CRT devices. Monirots, TVs - some more than others but I can definitely hear them. Dunno about anyone else but I can hear whether the TVs tuned in or not as well...
The particularly worrying one was when I realised I could hear our old photocopier - not a cooling fan or motor running, but I could tell it was on as I walked past the door.
Greg
Greg
(Inside a nuclear plant)
Aaaarrrggh! Run! The canary has mutated!
-
Here in my lab I also deal with intelligence.
And artificial intelligence.
You are all invited to check out "Patsy":
A female cat, recognizes her name, recognizes multiple specific human beings and reacts accordingly.
Never falls, can even jump !
Special regenerative power supply lasts over 10 years.
Recognizes rooms, remembers places and even interprets a human's voice or behavior.
The interpretation is stored in EPROM, so once she "understood" something, she will react faster the next time.
To avoid stereotypic behavior, the stored information will be flushed if proven invalid for several times.
That's what we humans call "learning".
"Patsy" can't speak yet, so bodylanguage is used.
There's only one string attached:
She's copyrighted by God....
george./
The reason I ask is because, in Dragonball Z, the little kitty that's perpetually perched on Dr. Briefs' shoulder is also named Tama.
Just wondering.
Robokoneko is to this robotic cat as AIBO is to a pet rock. Another group in Japan (the ATR Group) has been developing Robokoneko for a long time and their progress is staggering... their AI model they use is stellar, and in the creation of it they invented the fastest AI processing machines to date in the area they are using. They are using cellular automata systems to simulate the neural net of the cat and the fastest machine to do this kind of thing to date was the MIT CAM-8. In order to get the kind of processing power to run the cat in realtime, learning and reacting to real-world stimulus, they needed a machine that could do the cellular automata stuff at LEAST 400 times faster than the MIT CAM-8. Well, their machine (as far as I know its only name is CAM Brain) runs 500 times faster!
Robokoneko wasn't developed to be a virutal pet, though, it is a proof in theory of the AI principles behind it. And from what they've doen so far, it seems they've just about proven everything they set out to do. A company in America called Genobyte is providing a lot of the funding and may very well release Robokoneko as a toy in the future... a cat that can actually start off as a kitten and "grow" (not physically of course) into a full cat.
There's so much cool stuff about Robokoneko I can't put it all in this post. They're using a distributed community model to figure out what to do with all the parts of the brain and how to interconnect them (there are thousands and thousands of modules, they think sight, hearing, the usual stuff will only take a few hundred modules, so they've got a lot of extra space).
If you're interested in genetic algorithms, neural networks, cellular automata theories, artificial intelligence in general, or anything like that, do a quick Google for Robokoneko and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Esperandi
Their machine is made of simple FPGAs too, so theoretically you could build one yourself if you knew how to do that kinda thing, they explain the way they have done it in great detail in their documents.
Actually, I can too. I can hear from my house's ground floor whether the TV in the basement is on or not, and my older computer's monitor sometimes breaks out into a lower frequency so that I can hear it. It drives me nuts, and I have to hit it a few times to make the sound go away.
I can hear practically all TVs in this way, but not better computer monitors at high refresh rates. They're too high. Dogs can though - it's interesting to watch.
You think that cats are for lonely people but dogs aren't? You are nothing but a hypocrite. Personally, I don't like dogs, as they are stupid, they stink, they have no will of their own and are nothing more than obedient little slaves. Cats on the other hand have much more personality, are independent thinkers, they don't stink and don't require you to take them for walks so that they can crap in other peoples' yards. As for the robo-cat, some cat-lovers are allergic to real cats, so this might be a solution to that problem. Also, one day your dog(s) will be dead, the robo-cat will live forever. Besides, not everyone is as poor as you seem to be, so those of us non-poor people could easily afford one.
You haven't met my cat.
If you get it to purr just right, it can serve as a marital aid.
What we really need is a critter with a loadable personality module. Depending on your mood when you get home from work, you can have it greet you with frantic good cheer, or ignore you. And you'd be *amazed* the tricks you could teach him if he has a scripting language and a serial port.
--
This is not my sandwich.
You'd want the GACS (Gyroscopic Attitude Control System) option. It's another $500.00, but isn't your robotic kitty worth it?
Bush should have died, not Reagan -- Morrissey
Morrissey rides a cockhorse -- The Warlock Pinchers
I don't see it so much as a waste then a way of getting the population confortable with the technology. Its interesting that they mentioned 'pet therapy'. The underside of technology is that we will soon have robots replacing people for a number of tasks they really shouldn't. At the moment, yes, a robot cat is more expensive and less effective then a real cat, but eventually it will not be. By the time we have the technology to build a relitivly realistic robotic cat and dog, and so as long as people view them as toys or substitutes for the real thing, the companys' investment will begin to pay off: Robotic home health care or Robotic nursing assistants. Eventually, all of your physical and emotional needs will be provided for via robots and technology. I can't say I'm sure this is for the best.
ROFLMAO :-)
Why the hell do you want a robot of someone who has more mileage than my Buick? I'd rather have a Robo-Natalie Portman...
I don't care much for cats, but I would buy a robotic dog. Here's why:
From job to job, with the tiny, cramped apartments I've had, it would be very cruel to a real dog to keep it so confined. With a robotic dog, I could switch it off, and not feel bad about leaving it in the closet.
Now, granted, it would be only a temporary thing until I can get a decent house to keep a dog. (Actually, I have a real dog; she's living with my parents (since they have a house with a backyard). And I would much rather have her around than a robotic dog, but it would be a terrible thing to do to her.)
This sig is false.
Legs off, Fins on, little tube through the back of it's neck, so 'e can breathe, Make Good.
Crusoe could even be used to keep it running longer than the one hour that Tama can run at.
It could be a new distro dubbed RoboLinux, or something like that.
This is the greatest robotics related idea since the robot store catalog. I can't wait to see the US version. I wonder what "tama" means. I'm not being sarcastic
______
Adam 56
Human
C++ programmer
Anyone who's looking for a fun little robot that's cheap and not hideous (furby, ahem) should look at the WeeBot line of robots at the sharper image . these things are great!
So if you drop it will it land on it's feet.
If I'm not mistaken, Doesn't "Tama" mean something like "Kitty" or "Cat" in Japanese? (Ever watch Tamahome in Fushigi Yuugi? He gets mad when Miaka calls him "Tama" and says, "Don't call me a cat!") Who are the geniouses in the Design Department that came up with such an original name? I mean when I hear Tama I think Drum Set. Couldn't they do better. Sony didn't call their toy "Doggy". My 0.02 Cents.
another example of doing something because you can?
I mean robot cats and dogs sheesh!
Does it leave duracells around as little presents?
I mean, I suppose its a great toy but an expensive one
...Upgrade now to Schrodingers Dog...
You may also be interested to to know that Tama is probably the most common name for cats in Japan.
Now you gotta wonder how a Tama and Aibo are going to live together. Maybe something for Robot Wars.
Use Adsense for Charity
It's a toy. Just a toy. It's not really going to replace living things (unless it was a LOT more sophisticated) in anyone's heart or mind.
That said, I'd love to have one, if only to hack it and make it do things other than the designers intended. But as a pet? Sad. Truly, truly sad.
I don't think anyone is seriously thinking it would provide companionship. Hell, if you want mechanical companionship that's under $2000, just get a vibrator.
Or, go to (icky) realdoll. Now *that's* sad.
I am the Shmoo. Ku-ku-ka-choo.
On a side note, I read an article in the paper a few months ago about a craft store that sold realistic looking cat statues. It was later found out some were made of real cat pelts. Maybe they'll try that.
Could this be? a first post ?? I thought I'd see all sorts of wild discussion and carrying on when I clicked this link.. there was for Aibo, but over 10 minutes after the story was posted, and I see nothing. hmm.
if I have a robot cat and a robot dog if they'll fight together.....
Also, are they planning on having robot kids cause I'm not sure if I want the real thing...
*******************************
This is where I should write something
intelligent or funny but since I'm
--
--
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
They should've called it Five :-)
about TROLL-DAY (patent pending). A TROLL_DAY (patent pending) happens to be only once a day. so its importent that you troll that day. thanks
Dogs may be stupid, they stink, they have no will of their own, but if a cat weighed 60 pounds, it would try to kill you.
Then, my oldest son started hacking the variables and he was able to alter the behavior, looks etc. Came up with several mutations that weren't too far off from your description, big buggy eyes, huge teeth etc.
More race stuff in one place,
than any one place on the net.
i think we havea winner
Let's see... robotic cat.... needs to be able to:
-Sit comatose for hours on end
yeah my win box does that
-Meow incessantly for no reason whatsoever
can anoyone say blue screen
-Mindlessly scratch all furniture it sees to shreads
funiture=hard disks, floppys, cdrom drives, etc.
-Ignore everything that people say to it
self explanitory
The technology to accomplish this has existed for decades.
yup and bill has the patent
No thanks, I prefer the real thing.
Hussein died from severe head injuries after he was transferred to a dispensary in Ajawa, the newspaper quoted Abdi Gosho, a nurse in the village, as saying.
Attempts to confirm the story were unsuccessful. Police in Wajir, contacted by telephone from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, had no information about the alleged incident.
The report did not specify what kind of monkey carried out the purported attack. Baboons have been known to throw objects at rivals.
Bagpuss!! There's a name I haven't heard in a long while. Loved that show, singing mice and whatnot!
You're right though, Tama does look like Bagpuss. Probably comes alive when he's alone like Bagpuss too.
You'd want the GACS (Gyroscopic Attitude Control System) option. It's another $500.00, but isn't your robotic kitty worth it?
The people I know that have cats (extended family and friends) are usually people who are a bit lonely and anyone who would buy something like a robotic cat and then pay an additional $500.00 USD for it is an idiot.
Quite frankly for that price you can get one of the better purebreed animals or perhaps get a genetically enhanced version. I currently have a small black and white dog that is a mix of a miniture shetland shepdog and something else. Looks real nice, cost a bit but less than this cat.
Slashdot social engineering at it's finest
I was watching Johnny Mnemonic the other night and it got me wondering if I might be able to use my cat's brain for data storage. How many gigs can a cat brain hold with a doubler? Check out Cat Dynamics.
There is a japanese lab that is working on a robot cat that would have more than 10 thousand evolvable artificial neurons coded on FPGA. I hope it succeeds, it would be the first hard A.I.
I think it is on the same lab that is now supporting the Tierra project.
just go here:
http://www.genobyte.com/robokoneko.html
I visited Omron's research labs in Kyoto about a year and a half ago when they were developing the prototype of this cat, so I've seen it in action.
It is not really comparable to the Aibo... it doesn't have many actuators, so cannot (or could not at the time) walk. It could sit up or lie down, and move its head a little. As the article says, it can respond to your voice, to motion (if you hold it upside down it gets angry), and to contact with its skin. At the time, it didn't have a camera to see the environment.
Hard to pass on a Critic reference, regardless of how far I have to go to make it.
fuck you signal 11-guys-raping-your-ass-in-a-row
Not a perfect replacement, by any means. Heck, I would love to get a hold of one just for the fun of it. My apartment is too small for a cat as it is. It would be an interesting conversation piece, too. Probably a bit too much money to for just that purpose. Plus, needing a rack of rechargeable batteries. Yeah, I would take one. I wonder if it will have a choice of fur. Better yet....Changeable fur. Cat of the week!!
Stick it's ass in your face all day long?
What, hasn't anybody linked to the ZDNet cartoon about why this is a bad idea?
Weblogging Considered Harmful:
Anyone ever play Catz or petz? If so, you know what I'm thinking of: I want to train my legion of robotic pets to fear me. I want psychotic pets. I want my neighbors to wonder why there's 30 glowing eyes on my roof all howling at
the moon in a tin-can like voice. I want them to BEG for their batteries. I want them to develop a strong hatred for the Energizer Bunny, Barney, and Teletubbies. They are to be lasered on sight.
No I really haven't heard of these care to elaborate?
In all reality I think you would want the robots to respect you. If you read enough science fiction you will note that irrated robots == robots on revenge. Emerging intelligence would eventually foil your plans.
For their service, I will provide robotic modifications - ultraviolet lasers with a 1.5M volt output (ultraviolet lasers leave the air the laser fired through ionized providing a path for electrons to follow. Think: tesla coil), evil glowing
eyes, 180 db pizo-electric buzzers from hell and IR / RF outputs to mess with electronics. These will be the pets from hell
If you can get them to fear you perhaps the best tactic is to not remove anything. Never make concessions not one with slaves.
I like that.. the perfect compliment to a BOFH's LART - 30 evil robotic cats. "Awww, aren't they cute - look at those 6" long metal claws.... oh.. wait..." *electronic growling* RUN FOOL RUN!!!!!
Buwhahahaahahahaha!
Robots have a great deal of power but they are usually not very accurate or swift. Plus one person with a nice solid wrecking bar or an oak baseball bat would reduce your "army" to scrap metal.
Slashdot social engineering at it's finest
- Find a dead cat, or make one yourself (this is the fun part)
- Stuff it (the cat, not you!)
Ta-daaaaa! You now have a pet that sits there and does nothing, just like a real cat! I suppose robotics could come in handy to make it avoid you, just like a real feline."Tama" means "ball", or in colloquial Japanese "a large testicle", which I consider a fascinating insight into the imaginations of Nihonjin engineers.
Katsuyo Mori
A well-designed, inexpensive robot cat could have a place. If you cannot keep a live cat for some reason (i.e., live alone and travel a lot, or the landlord has a strict no-pets policy), a robot that fulfils the functions of a cat (i.e., receives and gives affection, responds positively to being stroked, plays with small objects/laser pointers, &c.) could be a good substitute. Implementing it well, however, is an entirely different question.
One could even envision a travel version, where the physical robot cat is dispensed with altogether, and replaced with a small box connected to a pair of video glasses and a tactile feedback glove. Switch it on and a virtual cat appears, which you can interact with.
In his visionary novel, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, live animals are mostly extinct, and artificial (designed and genetically engineered, although not robotic) animals and humans exist as luxury objects.
It's ironic and sad that we keep looking for, and hoping to discover, life on other planets, when at the same time we're eliminating those on our own. Someday, as spaceships probe planet after planet for life in remote galaxies and come up emptyhanded, and we realize how special and precious our little ecological fluke of a planet is, we will understand this better. Until then we're doomed to shoot ourselves in our feet, collectively, and unknowingly.
Perhaps one day we'll learn to develop such artificial creatures complex enough to serve as substitutes for the real kind, and we'll forget about the real ones. As human settlements expand (and they do), we'll eventually overrun the animal kingdom, which already has a large number of endangered species.
I suspect that, sometime in the future, not too far off, we will have ceased to look upon the idea of a robotic animal only as a quaint, cute, and practical toy with a convenient "off" button, but as the only available alternative. Welcome to a penguin-less future.
one word: cactus- --
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Please give your mod points to others, Im at the cap. They will appreciate it more
Good point.
And if I want a cool robot to follow me around - I'll buy/make one who looks like a robot. Wheels, wires, blinking leds, and so on.
I have 2 real dogs, & 2 real cats. When they die, I'll look into robotics for replacements.
Why? Vet bills & food for the past 5 years have totaled ~20k$, & I expect them to live for ~5 years more (some were adopted, so are older than 5).
"But where's the actual 'love' a -real- pet can give you?" Bah. Simple behaviours which should be fairly easy to reproduce - & I'd imagine in 5 years the AI's will be fairly sophisticated. Dog rubs his head against my leg when I come home, cat walks up to have his head scratched & be petted - how hard would this be to reproduce? Not very, I'd think.
I'm attached to this machine - why not to one which can walk & bark? W/ luck & upgrades, I could potentially play some video games against it, something you can't do w/ a real dog - imagine trying to teach Rover chess.
That being said, current AIBO's are seriously lacking:
a) They're puppies. Puppies are, by their nature, limited; poor balance & coordination, not very smart. In a big-dog world, they can't compete. If you want a watchdog, forget a perma-puppy: burglar deterrence factor zero.
b) They're cheaply constructed. A quick look through AIBO message boards & mailing lists shows breakdowns aplenty; lotsa AIBO's out there w/ limps or worse.
c) Batteries & power; not strictly SONY's fault, but battery technology (fuel cells?) needs to get better for these to be effective. & at the minimum, they need to be able to find their charger & plug themselves in w/o intervention when needed.
My idea of an ideal AIBO: size & shape of a doberman, full-grown; stainless steel, aluminum, & titanium construction (maybe a carbon fiber shell over aluminum would work, I'd imagine keeping weight down would help the servos a bit). Servos capable of the same output as a real dog's muscles (more, of course, would be fine). The ability to run & jump. Face recognition, voice recognition. 12 hour battery life (roughly what a real dog can do before needing sleep under rough conditions). A 10 year warranty on parts.
If this were made, I'd pay 50k$ for it happily - this would be a 'dog' without any of the current heartache of vet visits, peeing on carpets, mood swings, & eventual death.
Someone make it; I will come.
Yeah, but just think how cool it probably looks *underneath* all that fur .
I can imagine stripping the fur and creating a kinds Terminator effect robocat.
Now there's a thought!
A little planning goes a long way...
If it won't attack my feet and gnaw on them when I'm trying to sleep. Or leap around the room for no apparent reason.
It's not a *real* cat if you don't stop yelling "Down!" at it.
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I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
If its as stupid as either of my cats, it CAN'T recognize its name.
One of them, Flatulent is the least congenial creature I can imagine saddling any pet owner with. The other, Brain Damage is about as lively as a dead carp...
They make wonderful evening companions after a beer bash. Flatulent is as ornery, uncoordinated and swilled as I've ever managed to get and Brain Dead is a great pal, if you like to hang around the coma ward at the hospital
And they only ever say two things:
When dinner?and
Everything here is mine!
Like what kind of an idiot would shell out good dough for, uh, I did. And worse.. Like Frankenstein's monster They're, Alive!!
Never mind...
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
I'm not even going to bother to elaborate.
Thanks a lot asshole! If I get fired for this, expect a call from a lawyer!
I cant believe it we've made a cat that LISTENS for its own name!!!!
My cats have NEVER done that.
--
RoboPlant(TM) is due out in store in time for Christmas. It's much better than a plant, because its RoboPlant!!
It just sits on the table doing nothing...
BUT IT'S ROBOPLANT!
If you water it, it dies.
BUT IT'S ROBOPLANT!
If you talk to it, it does nothing...
BUT IT'S ROBOPLANT!
Gotta get 'em all!!!!!
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Due to this post, a monkey with antlers strapped to its head was set free in a forest in Mebane, North Carolina. An hour later, the monkey was found dead... strapped to the hood of some yokel's truck.
LouZiffer
LouZiffer
I submitted this story last night, but added the comment that if Tama didn't respond to your voice, the manufacturer could just claim that it was behaving like a normal cat.
Please consider making an automatic monthly recurring donation to the EFF
Well, the joke for some time has been that the Orgasmatron was invented *years* ago, but that the inventor still hasn't made it to the patent office ;)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Check out Mark Tilden from LANL, and his robots built from a handful of discrete components
Here
Actually, I think some hybrid combination of this with digital management and nonvolatile storage might eventually win out.
I think the name Script Kitty is funnier...
It is, but Illiad wasn't the first to think of it. Check out the Script Kittie on the OpenBSD 2.6 cover art. He isn't explicitly called that on the cover, but that's what he's called on the t-shirt page.
I think that the cat is sort of dumb (The UF cat, not the BSD one!). Perhaps Illiad a bit distracted about going to CeBIT? Or maybe his creative juices are running low after the kick-ass "Pitr the Borg vs. Crud Puppy" arc.
Hmmm, what should Pitr's "Borg name" be? I'm wagering on "vi of IX". (Emacs users, just ignore that.) ;-)
Yes, it's official. Jesus uses vi.
I am the Lord.
I am the Lord.
God Hates Moderators.
Not only is that action an improvement over AIBO, but an improvement over real cats!
My cat completely ignores me when I call her. YMMV.
When talking cars came out "The door is ajar." I thought it would be fun to produce personality modules to replace the ho-hum voices vehicles came with. At the time, Mr. T was a celebrity and I thought the Mr. T version could say, "You left the door open, FOOL! When's that las' time you checked the oil in this thang?!"
--
As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.
One of the sad and little known phenomenon of the robotic pet market is that of unwanted and abandonded robopets. If you have ever seen one of these poor creatures low on power and wandering in an alley waiting for someone to stimulate its pressure sensors, you would understand the seriousness of this problem. The most common violators are young college age men and women who purchase these poor creatures in a vain attempt to attract members of the opposite sex. It is a tradegy that these individuals see these robopets as only a tool to be discarded. Please join our fight to keep these adorable and vulnerable pets out of the pound and off the streets. Adopt an abandonded robopet. Thank you for your time.
Poo-Bah
President
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to RoboPets
That cat got hit with an ugly stick or truck.
Two reasons why I wouldnt buy it.
1) My dog would chew its head off.
2) Its ugly.
Are they going to simulate bowl movements also? You could fill it everyday with a pint of RoboPiss(tm) and can of RoboSoftServeTurd(tm).
Then train it to be house broken.
What about static? Could you give your RoboPet a lobotomy when the humidity is low?
Microsoft aggravates my tourettes syndrome.
Enough said.
What happens when you put [KC]atz and Dogs in the same room. Do you get Robot Wars or Flamewars?
/. saying - --------
I can just see the Aibo using some built in modem postin on
"I've had enough of his posts and now he's in my house!"
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"If I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot fascists" -
We have a clear and obveous faker here...e mos. [Hemos.] e mos [Hemos]
:)
http://slashdot.org/users.pl?op=userinfo&nick=h
is not
http://slashdot.org/users.pl?op=userinfo&nick=h
It's the same prank pulled on Bruce Perens a while back...
Looks like we have some FakerDots to contend with... (FakerDots meaning dot behind the nick not meaning SlashDot fakers.. Just wanted to make it clear where my mem comes from)
I don't actually exist.
Dogs aren't more affectionate, they're just less discriminating. ;>
-Kahuna Burger
...will work for Chick tracts...
If it hadn't been done in "A Close Shave" I would say that this is the perfect plotline for the fourth Wallace and Grommit episode. So, has anyone named the cybercat Preston? Does it rustle people's goldfish to make tiny chain-mail suits for G.I.Joe as well as making cat food? What kind of fleas does it have? No, don't answer that one!
Detecting satire not your forte?
Of course having robots take care of you emtionally is for the best. That way you can program to make you happy all the time and because they are computer based they will have no choice but to do it!!!!
I think that people should look to replacing as many jobs and tasks as possible with robots. I want to go to McDonalds and not interact with anyone, just slde my smart card through the slot push the picture of what I want and pick up my bag of perfectly robot made food at the window. It would be really kewl if all the robots looked like borg, or Bender from Futurama!!!
Not from the makers of "You might be a redneck" but a short quiz more appropriate to Slashdot "Are You a Mad Scientist?"
Didn't this thing make a living driving cars off cliffs for Saturday Night Live?
As long as it will still fit into a microwave, I could see this as being a great house cat.
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I just wish I could c:\format Internet
The dog in Woody Allen's movie "Sleeper" is, of course, the ultimate robotic pet.
Not that anybody is going to pay it any attention, if there's a time slot still open for the Orgasmatron.
Robo-dog make way for robo-cat. Furry feline robot 'Tama' is Japanese company Omron's answer to the popular Sony robot dog Aibo
The COMPANY is callled Omron.
Toshihiro Tashima, Tama's creator, says that
The HUMAN CREATOR of Tama is callled Toshihiro Tashima.
Please get the facts right to avoid future embarassment.
Some more necessary calls:
/* ack, thttttpht!!! */ /* extra priority for curtains */
upchuck_hairball()
climb()
knock_over_stuff()
torment_dogs()
The novel that inspired Blade Runner, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick, plays around with a few interesting ideas concerning electrical pets. If you haven't read it already, it's an excellent book. I seriously doubt that many are purchasing these 'pets' for emotional reasons. They're priced as a novelty item, and the only reason I would own one is a)to see how my real cat would react b)coolness novelty factor mentioned above c)to mess with it's programming(although I probably don't have the skills right now) This says nothing of future electric pets.... When will my electric dog be able to fetch my morning E-news from /.?
Instead of giving a home to a REAL cat or dog that is either homeless or going to be put to sleep, stupid geeks pay $3000+ for a stupid robotic pet. GET A LIFE PEOPLE! If you want a dog, GET A REAL DOG!
I've not heard of catz, but I have heard of Katz... Now there's a creature that inspires fear in my heart.
I wonder if it's possibe to port Katzdot to the RoboCat...
-hemos
I'm hemos., aka Jeff. Bates.. I help run this site, along with Rob. Malda.. I handle books, and generally posting storie
Digital Pussy!
For their service, I will provide robotic modifications - ultraviolet lasers with a 1.5M volt output (ultraviolet lasers leave the air the laser fired through ionized providing a path for electrons to follow. Think: tesla coil), evil glowing eyes, 180 db pizo-electric buzzers from hell and IR / RF outputs to mess with electronics. These will be the pets from hell
I like that.. the perfect compliment to a BOFH's LART - 30 evil robotic cats. "Awww, aren't they cute - look at those 6" long metal claws.... oh.. wait..." *electronic growling* RUN FOOL RUN!!!!!
Buwhahahaahahahaha!
Doctor Who had K-9. Now is that really any different from Aibo and this Moggy? No contest. They don't even have a laser!
How would you know, they always ignore you until they're hungry. A great marketing ploy
"Ignores you just like a real Cat"
Next ARPO the robotic Whelk just like having the real thing.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
Tama looks a lot more like Bagpuss
... eat loads of fluff off of the carpet and then make retching noises and puke up in the corner? :)
But the real question is....
When will all these new toys become affordable to the masses? Right now, all these toys are in the "high-Tech/Geek toy" market/price range. I want one that costs as much as my set of Furbys did.
CSG_SurferDude
LongTail SSH Brute Force analysis tool is here!
Homer: Ooh, I want to pet Santa's Little Helper again.
Marge: Homer, you just petted him. Why don't you pet the cat.
Homer: The cat? What's the point?
I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.
Cycas revoluta, plant of the geeks.
It is acutally a "real" plant, but most of its
time it behaves exactly like a roboplant (does nothing and watering it too much kills it.)
Whatch this place for the announcement of the incredible cycas cam! Watch a real cycas revoluta *not* growing, it's amazing! (When ever new leaves come out of it, we promise to exchange it with a "sleeping" exemplar.)
Remember the simpson's christmas episode where Funzo goes and destroy's the other toys. :)
-Paul
"I'm nobody suspicious... That makes me sound even more suspicious, doesn't it?" - Spike (Cowboy Bebop)
Not to be too contrary, but the companies name is Omron and the creator's name is Toshihiro Tashima (as stated in the first two paragraphs).
If you've only ever knows two cats, you can't draw a real conclusion about all cats any more than you can draw a real conclusion about all hackers from watching watching hollywood stereotypes.
:o)
For contrast, you should meet my cat, DC (stands for Dumb Cat)
He possesses the following traits:
- He understands his name
- He comes when you call him (regardless of whether it's dinnertime or not.)
- He greets me at the door when I get home.
- He fetches (really!)
- He doesn't sharpen his claws on the furniture (anymore
- He's social (whenever I have guests, he insists on being part of the group - he watches whoever is talking, and occasionaly adds a "meow" when there is a lull in the conversation, plus he'll sit on pretty much anyone's lap and purr, but only after he's been invited.)
All I want is a frickin' robot shark with a frickin' laser on it's forhead, and what do you bring me, frickin' furry cats.
Screw realty just hook me up another monitor!
But then you have to worry about them laughing at you.
--
Don't lead me into temptation... I can find it myself.
so what happens if you are listening to music with it in the room... it'll go crazy...
That would be a realistic simulation of my cats. Siamese in particular seem intolerant of music they don't like.
Tama's not as worthless as it seems. The only other tries at making realistic robotic animals are AIBO and the insects at MIT. It's pretty hard to get funding for such ventures in the academic environment. Having private groups undertake animal AI and robotics opens a very lucrative (though not academically pure) opportunity for research. Who knows, if demand keeps up, in twenty years the next big advances in AI might end up being pushed by Sony, Lunka, or Nintendo and not Caltech or MIT.
Nick (hiding behind sofa)
PS For those of you who have never seen Bagpuss, think Reanimator crossed with those Chucky movies.
-- "It's a sad day for American capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park" - Jim Moran
.
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
Right on brother. Please forgive my over-reaction to this story but...... People get pets for a reason. Sharing a relationship with a living thing is a special experience. They have a way of providing just the right kind of companionship, unlike a machine. This is the reason people do not snuggle up to their toaster when they are lonely. After the novelty (if there is any) has worn off, I can see these fake pets being put in a closet and forgotten about. If someone does manage to grow attached to one of these mechanical beasts, I truly piety them. One truly looses their humanity when they begin to love a machine. It's stuff like this that makes me worry about the future of people as a whole. A future where people don't want to leave their houses because they have "net friends" and a fake dog at their side is simply a sad place. If the world ever gets to that point, I wish to promptly exit. Get busy living or get busy dying -- Shawshank Redemption
Tama translates into "Egg" from Japanese into English. Do you really want a pet that comes when you scream "Egg" ??
Toshihiro Tashima is the fellow who created the thing; the company producing it is Omron.
-Sit comatose for hours on end
-Meow incessantly for no reason whatsoever
-Mindlessly scratch all furniture it sees to shreads
-Ignore everything that people say to it
The technology to accomplish this has existed for decades.
:-)
--
dinner: it's what's for beer
When are they gonna make products
with a more practical use ?
I'm not really supposed to disclose this, but....
/* May be called anytime, anywhere */
/* Works best when passed a proper LITTERBOX struct */
/* If no arg, defaults to last FURNITURE struct */
/* May be called with claws=true/false and teeth=true/false */
/* Added 11/15/99. More realism. */
There is a software API for this thing. I wrote a large part of it. I basically modeled it on my own cat.
It supports the following calls:
sleep()
eat()
go_potty()
shred()
pounce()
sleep_more()
Pretty much covers it, I think.
Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.
This would be a great opportunity to showcase a new show for "Futurama"...the Aibo and Tama show? They would just stare at each other and respond slowly to one another's reactions, throw in a Furbie and we are talking about Fox's next reality show, "When Robots Stare At Each Other!"
-- ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space!
If they want the thing to be realistic, it has to be able to shed on every piece of clothing and furniture in the house...
http://billy.j.mabray/
human://billy.j.mabray/
"Every good system has a backup." -- Dale Hanchey
Metal hot grits would get hot very fast and very hot.
What a sad people the Japanese must be. Here you have to worry about growing old with 20 or 30 cats. There you don't even get real cats. This makes me sad.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
It's true, purebred animals are are always more unhealthy than non-purebreds. For example: persian cats (the ones with their faces pushed in) have a variety of respiratory problems. There's one species that has such a high threshold for pain that it won't let you know if something's wrong. After all the vet bills, a $500 cat would easily put you over the ~$2000 price tag for Tama. And she doesn't need to be fed, either. Not only that but even after the high cost that you pay for them, it's still unusual for the breeder to make alot of money from it.
Maybe you'd better click it again, just to be sure.
After all, cat don't do what you tell them to. In fact, they do whatever they want, whether you want them to do it or not. They can crash anywhere and everywhere. They will also consume all space, and are very curious about the enviroment they're installed in!
Of course, cat enthusiests would say that this is a feature, not a bug.
--
Intelligence is definitely a recessive trait.
a CAT responding BETTER to sound than a DOG?????
Dogs hear those whistle thingies that people can't even hear - and from long distances. My dog can hear my monitor sometimes - I kid you not. It freaks him out.
Cats just sleep. I doubt they even RECOGNIZE their names if they hear them. Any "lost cat" poster proclaiming "Answers to _____" is a damned dirty liar if you ask me...
I'm also a little put off by trying to make it look like a real cat. They missed the mark. At least AIBO is only stylistically similar to a dog. Robotic pets might be a little more enjoyable if they don't pattern themselves too closely after real animals.
Who would want to have to "walk" AIBO or scoop out Tama's litterbox?
I think the name Script Kitty is funnier... Oh, and here's the page with an ad (help pay for User Friendly), previous and next cartoon links, etc.
Really folks, electronic pets? I have to admin that even if a friend of mine told me they bought one of these things, I would have to tell them to get a life. This may be interesting from a technology standpoint, (IMHO the technology isn't _that_ great anyway), but I can't believe these huge companies are pouring research dollars into this "pet" thing. Maybe I'm just clueless, because I never could understand those wrist things that you had to change and feed, etc.
-- On the side of the software box, in the system requirements section it said "Requires Windows 95 or better." So I i
ok.. so why would you possible make a cat..?
I mean... they say in the article that its not meant to be a toy like the aibo.. its ment to be used for pet therapy. hmm... pet therapy? wouldn't a real pet do a bit better job... lots cheaper too... oh... and your real cat won't run out of juice after sleeping for an hour. better stock up on those batteries..
the article really bothered me.. It says that it not simply a bunch of automated responses, but that it actually has emotions. I am terribly sorry but if they have succefully created computer software the feels they had better not be wasting it on a stupid cat...
Oh... and it also says that rather than listening for words it listens for the tone of your voice.. cause thats what cats do right... or maybe cause voice recognition is harder...
so what happens if you are listening to music with it in the room... it'll go crazy...
n e ways... I'll end my ranting 'bout now..
have a nice day all
Please bear with me...I missed troll day.
Does anyone besides me look at that photo (of robo-cat) and cringe at how sad and pitiful that thing is. I mean, at least Aibo doesn't pretend to be anything but a robot.
I think Aibo is pretty neat, not just because of what it does, but because of the way it looks and the way it is presented.
But this thing is looks ridiculous (sp?). Maybe I feel this way because I just saw Blade Runner again (or half of it before I was too bored to go further), and I think BR relates a lot to what Sony and whoever these robo-cat people are trying to do.
Putting fur on this thing, or at least that face, has to be the worst thing they could do to the robo-cat. Just plain silly. It doesn't look like a cat, it looks like a cat with leprosy and an inflated head.
I am not saying they should make the thing look just like Aibo, not by any means, but don't put that hidious get-up on it. --cheese
Well, this isnt't exactly the sort of artificial pussy I was hoping for ...