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Sony's New Bi-Pedal Robot
TestBoy writes "Sony is releasing a new bipedal robot for home use. It has a 60,000 word vocabulary and can even sing songs." I am especially amused by the photograph of synchronized dancing
robots, and the fact that the new bot will cost as much as a luxury car! But
it has some impressive stuff like facial recognition
Hmmmm. So. It can do 6E4 different jobs? But can it be voice controlled? That's what I want, a robot with a 60,000 word vocabulary.
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Name it Hal. Then I'll start referring to my house as my pod. Then I'll come home everynight, and say "Open the pod bay door Hal!". Then I'll giggle insanely! It'll never ever stop being funny! :)
These are not the droids I'm looking for.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Now I can re-enact this scene
I've always wanted a pet robot, now I can feel like it's really the future.
Starsucks
Ok, Here's the link to the new Honda Asimo -- THe page is in Japanese, but the photos are good.
--
Vote for your hopes, not for your fears - Vote Third Party
We've got plenty of bright people in this country, but we don't make things like this.
That's because rich Americans would rather spend $20,000 on a stereo that does everything, or a handheld that can drive your car, instead of a robot that sings and dances at karaoke parties.
Hmm.. how long will it take someone to mod one with a chainsaw and a flame thrower and use it as a battle bot? :)
(This Space For Rent)
In this article there's some extra technical information, like the fact that it has 2 64-bit RISC processors and runs the Apertos Operating System (now called Aperios).
Signatures are supposed to be funny?
Now it can walk my AIBO at 6:00 in the morning.
Sony employee: ah Mr Microsoft exhibitor, allow me to introduce our latest model bipedal *hunter-killer* robot, fresh from our development labs...
Robot: is there a problem here ?
MS employee: erm, on second thoughts, just carry on as you were...
It may have a 60000 word vocabulary, but 30000 of the words are "beedy-beedy-beedy"
And the optional computer to translate for you is another $60k.
www.eFax.com are spammers
"For that, the robot has sensors on the bottom of its feet to help it walk on uneven surfaces such as carpeting and has been programmed to tumble without falling apart and then get up on its own, Doi said."
...
...
:)
er, scuse me mr doi, but how do you program it not to fall apart when it falls over?
if(robot->sensor.overload && robot->falling)
{
robot->say("danger, danger, get the hell out my way!");
robot->donotfallapart = true;
}
hmm
"So there he is, risen from the dead. Like that fella, E. T." - Father Ted Crilly
For the price of a luixury car IMO it better have "3 functioning inputs".
Sony meets RealDoll?
60k words aren't that many for a robot living in Japan. 60k words are about as much vocabulary as you would need to say "I want to get some ice cream" in japanese, though saying "very much hello person who is above me in the social stature and introduced by a lower co-worker" takes about two.
When these things can read Kanji, then I'll be impressed.
The ______ Agenda
No no no! That's for deranged computers!
Robots have to sing this...
Share and enjoy
Share and Enjoy, Share and Enjoy,
Journey through life with a plastic boy
Or girl by your side, let your pal be your guide,
And when it breaks down or starts to annoy,
Or grinds when it moves and gives you no joy
Cos it's eaten your hat or had sex with your cat,
Bled oil on your floor or ripped off your door,
And you get to the point you can't stand any more,
Bring it to us, we won't give a fig. We'll tell you
Go stick your head in a pig.
"Information wants to be paid"
This was a part from the German ARD afternoon news. The video speaks for itself, even if you don't understand the German commentary.
We fell behind in television development, and that hasn't hurt us any.
Ah, but television (a.k.a. the opiate of the modern masses), doesn't enhance productivity. With their entertainment robots, I think Sony has done a brilliant thing. They've taken the output of their research division and produced a customer facing product. This is extremely difficult with such a speculative technology - just ask Bell Labs. As toys, these robots can demonstrate the technology without requiring the stability of a commercial release. And by offering a new market (besides industrial assembly lines), they can justify increased development expenses because they'll be able to spread the costs over a larger market.
Given one hour to live, the student replied: "I'd spend it with professor FP who can make an hour seem like a lifetime."