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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

13 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. I'm going to buy one, and then... by billmaly · · Score: 5, Funny

    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! :)

  2. Singing and Dancing? by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    These are not the droids I'm looking for.

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  3. Finaly! by ShaniaTwain · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now I can re-enact this scene

    I've always wanted a pet robot, now I can feel like it's really the future.

  4. Here's the new Honda w/ Link by SerialHistorian · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ok, Here's the link to the new Honda Asimo -- THe page is in Japanese, but the photos are good.

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    Vote for your hopes, not for your fears - Vote Third Party

  5. Battle Bot... by DeltaBlaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hmm.. how long will it take someone to mod one with a chainsaw and a flame thrower and use it as a battle bot? :)

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    (This Space For Rent) ....($50 A Month).... (Contact The Voices In Your Head)
  6. Technical info by LinuxTek · · Score: 5, Informative

    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).

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    Signatures are supposed to be funny?
  7. Cool by crumbz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now it can walk my AIBO at 6:00 in the morning.

  8. Heh, just imagine at next years' Cebit... by Salsaman · · Score: 5, Funny
    MS employee: excuse me Mr Sony exhibitor, you aren't allowed to let customers play on your Playstations, you will have to pack 'em all up and take them away !

    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...

  9. Vocabulary by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  10. they used what?? by flumps · · Score: 4, Funny

    "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
    :)

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    "So there he is, risen from the dead. Like that fella, E. T." - Father Ted Crilly
  11. What's it good for? by SpinyNorman · · Score: 5, Funny

    For the price of a luixury car IMO it better have "3 functioning inputs".

    Sony meets RealDoll?

  12. Re:60k words? by cgenman · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  13. Link to video by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 4, Informative

    This was a part from the German ARD afternoon news. The video speaks for itself, even if you don't understand the German commentary.