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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.
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!
They should've called it Five :-)
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!
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!
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
What kind of a cat responds to its name? A proper robot cat will learn its name, but will not respond.
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.
-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
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.
A friend of mine had a very realistic looking cat stuffy. She used leave it perched on her window sill in the dorm. When ever passerbys would look into her window, she'd grab a large book and violently whack the stuffed animal. College was such fun.