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Sanyo Announces "Banryu" Home Security Robot

Fooferaw writes "From the Sanyo web site: Sanyo and smaller tmsuk announce the next version of their "Banryu" home robot shaped somewhat like a dragon (it has the shiny curves of an AIBO, IMO). The Banryu can walk 15m/min., hear, sense in the infrared, and apparently "smell" a fire in the home. It even transmit real-time video." Corrected: The title initially said Sharp...I must have Zaurus on the brain.

29 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. kinda like my dog. by Penguinoflight · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He can sense fire, scare intruders, run about 15m per SECOND, he's still working on the real time video... Really, this is a cool gadget, but who needs it?

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
    1 John 4:14
    1. Re:kinda like my dog. by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny
      shaped somewhat like a dragon (it has the shiny curves of an AIBO, IMO). The Banryu can walk 15m/min., hear, sense in the infrared, and apparently "smell" a fire in the home. It even transmit real-time video."

      He can sense fire, scare intruders, run about 15m per SECOND, he's still working on the real time video... Really, this is a cool gadget, but who needs it?

      Who needs Legos PC cases?

      Who needs case mods?

      Who needs overclocking with liquid nitrogen?

      Who needs a PDA with Linux?

      YOU do! Now get out there and get busy! Start by imagining a beowulf cluster of these things and proceed to make them do things unnatural to their original design (i.e. have it go down the street for pizza while you're sitting here reading slashdot) Maybe make it walk your dog for you. Make it talk like Yoda! Endless are the possibilities!

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:kinda like my dog. by Reggie+Funk · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yeah but this thing won't sh*t on your carpet or bark while you're trying to sleep. Can you tell I don't like dogs?

    3. Re:kinda like my dog. by Herkum01 · · Score: 5, Funny

      imagining a beowulf cluster of these things

      When I read this I just could not help but picture one, "Plugging" its male adapter into the other ones female adapter, doggy style. I wonder if this what they ment by cluster fuck!

  2. Sharp or Sanyo by Syn+Ack · · Score: 4, Informative


    Hrm, why does the headline read Sharp but the product is from Sanyo?

  3. Must have "Critic" Reference: by Metallic+Matty · · Score: 5, Funny

    Robocop: "Freeze dirtbag."

    Criminal claps

    *Robocop powers off*

    Criminal claps

    Robocop: "Please don't do that.."

  4. Deus Aibo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The trick is to walk slowly behind them or use EMP grenades

  5. Not Practical for Security Use? by Rob.Mathers · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Although the press release was not specific on exactly what sort of home security functions it would perform, I would think that it's speed would limit it's use. A 15 m per minute (.9 km/h) could easily be out walked by even the most unfit of people. This would seem to make it fairly useless in any sort of roving intruder detection system.

    --

    My other sig is funny!
    1. Re:Not Practical for Security Use? by spoco2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Exactly, after seeing this on the news last week, I was less than impressed by the speed of it...

      Robot: "WOOF!"
      Thief: "Oh crap! A robot dog!"
      *Robot dog slowly lumbers towards intruder, looking more like a drunk and invalid spider with half its legs than a scary intruder deterant*
      T: "Oh... is that all you've got... so if I walk over... like... here... I would loose you..."
      R: "WOOF!"
      T: "I'll just be in the other room if you can be bothered walking through"
      R: "Wimper..."

  6. ...but? by Chester+K · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will it push Grandma down the stairs? Grandma needs to be protected!

    --

    NO CARRIER
  7. Very effective. by Arethan · · Score: 3, Funny

    I imagine that the shiny lizard-like shape intimidates burglars, making them want to run away.

    Please... This has got to be one of the lamest gadgets I've ever heard of. You'll get better performance out of a few well placed web cams, some infrared motion detectors, and a smoke alarm or two. At least then you won't have to worry about the batteries wearing down every other day.

    "Burnt smell"... hehe, that sounds real technical. Oh well. It's their money they dumped into R&D. I suppose they'll have to learn for themselves that the consumer market for such a device isn't large enough to sustain production.

  8. Watchout Brinks by Ninja+Master+Gara · · Score: 5, Funny

    Soon to be upgraded with 2000 degree centrigrade flamethrower plus optional napalm pack! Now that's secure. Until you come home from cheating on yer wife and try to sneak in.

    --

    ---
    When I grow up, I want to be a kid again.
  9. Ahh yes by Zeebs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Robber 1: Oh shit a a robotic security system
    Robber 2: Gawd damn it! It's spotted us.
    Robber 1: RUN!
    Robber 2: It's still chasing us... Very... Slowly...
    Robber 1: stroll?

    --

    Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
    1. Re:Ahh yes by agentZ · · Score: 4, Funny

      Robot: Please stand by the stairs so that I can protect you.
      Robbers: Ahhhhhhh!!!!

  10. Hmmm by ekrout · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sharp Announces "Banryu" Home Security Robot

    The Banryu can walk 15m/min., hear, sense in the infrared, and apparently "smell" a fire in the home.


    Sounds impressive, but my 36" Louisville Slugger probably wouldn't mind delivering a few Newton-meters of torque to Banryu's ass.

    --

    If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
  11. No home robot until... by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...I can yell "Beer me!" and it trots over with a frosty mug full.

    1. Re:No home robot until... by phillymjs · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hopefully it will work out better than this one, the story of which still makes me laugh heartily every time I reread it.

      ~Philly

  12. armament by nounderscores · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the base model doesn't seem to have a lot of bite to its bark... but unlike a real dog you might be able to mount a backpack rocket launcher like that dog shadow from the centurions.

    On the other hands, real k9s these days can carry body armour, so I guess things might be looking up for organic hounds.

  13. HAIL ROBOTS! by reconn · · Score: 4, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

    --
    Everything that was once directly lived has receded into a representation. -debord
  14. I don't think I need this. by the_other_one · · Score: 3, Funny

    A device that will film me smoking after sex and broadcast the image over the internet.

    --
    134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
    1. Re:I don't think I need this. by DJ+FirBee · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dude. Please.

      Do NOT have sex with that thing K ?

      Linux Freaks.

  15. Re:Smokers by sheetsda · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hope so too, considering:
    -Smoke rises
    -The thing is 700mm tall (~28 inches)
    -My bed is about the same height or higher
    So if I'm in bed (you'd think I would be if I'm having this thing patrol my house, but then again it probably makes a lot of noise) I'll be dead of smoke inhalation before its warnings go off if it didn't detect more than just a high concentration of smoke.

    And speaking of its dimensions, did anyone else notice how big this thing is? A meter long, and almost as tall and wide. A lot of people are making fun of the "home security" concept but given a threatening posture, its size, and composition (its a goddamn robot), it may be more effective at scaring off burglars than one might think (though there are definitely some serious questions remaining there). My question is, whats to stop the burglars from stealing this really novel (read: expensive) looking piece of equipment?

  16. Banryu? by Steve+G+Swine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please god tell me it's not purple...

    "I love you, you love me, I'm robot se-cur-i-tee..."

    --
    "Consider yourself a member of a virtual corporation with Mr. Torvalds as your Chief Executive Officer." - Linux Advocac
  17. Dynamic walking, and running by Animats · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Most of these walking robots still walk at the wind-up toy level. They don't have the accelerometers, rate gyros, and algorithms for dynamic walking, let alone running. They should; those parts aren't that big or expensive any more, because they're used in auto stability control systems.

    The big Honda humanoid robot has it right, but costs too much.

    Went to a talk at Stanford today on low-cost stereo vision systems. Those have been around for years, but they're about to get cheap. Unfortunately, the killer apps are security-related, but the robotics community will benefit anyway.

    We're getting close to actually being able to do this stuff right, after decades of frustration in the robotics community.

  18. Re:Security? Bah! by Rolo+Tomasi · · Score: 4, Funny
    Yeah, those Japanese are so unimaginative. They could have at least mounted a 50,000 Volts taser in its mouth, for a bite that will sting. I can see it before my eyes ...

    Burglar breaks window, enters house.

    Robot dog (metallic sound): WOOF!

    Burglar: Oh, hehe. One of those crappy, yet expensive robot dog toys. Come here, Rex. Tee hee. (Reaches out to grab it)

    *BZZZZZT*

    *THUD* (sound of lifeless body impacting floor)

    --
    Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?
  19. What's the world coming to... by coene · · Score: 4, Funny

    OK, We've all known that technology was going to begin replacing humans eventually... and in a crazy twist, its the dogs get blindsided out of nowhere!

    Someone, quick, start a non-profit organization to save the dogs!

  20. Re:So... by rat7307 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'd rather have something that could at least double as a fire extinguisher..

    Could it be rigged to cock it leg over the fire??? :-)

    --
    Burma?
  21. robots are cool by zogger · · Score: 3, Insightful

    --all the stuff you want a robot to do is not that hard, where they get lame is in the travelling around part. The stickler appears to be so far in the primitive walking. Scratch that, they need wheels or tracks. Make it a lot cheaper. The guy who invented the segway had an ubermobility wheelchair thing. I saw it once at a medical trade show.(well, I think it was his, long time ago now) Turn that badboy into a robot. It could climb stairs, carry serious invalid weight. Start with something like that, trick it out. You could make it 7 feet tall at the top, now THAT might make someone stop and think if it was staring him in the face with lotsa e-vile red glowing blinkenlights and a voice coming out. I guess the little cute robot dragon is better for the very small japanese housing or say a small urban apartment here. For a more mainstream robot in the US it has to be able to negotiate stairs, PLUS grab the dang lawnmower and do the grass. Might as well get some work out of them for their electric bill.

    heh

    --dogs are great, got two. They are small,15 lb'ers, good for fires or intruders for notification purposes. 10 cents of pepper spray or straight ammonia in a squirt gun would knock them out, same as any rottweiler at 150 lbs. That's what I used to use when bicycling and jerks let their packs of mutts chase bikers and cars. Spray, howl, done. Got tired of breaking frame mount air pumps as a club. False security with a dog, useful for detection, not for "security" as regards other humans, not any determined human anyway.. You need a thinking human who's armed and awake for any real security, that and actual for-real barriers to entrance. I think of "guard" dogs as sensors and kamikaze slower-downers to the badguys.

    -no security at your home if the bad guys can get in. No one is all that security conscious most places I've seen. Thick plexi windows and steel reinforced door jams and solid steel doors exist, hardly no one uses them. I've custom installed them for people, and have some friends who did it, but it was always after the fact of getting robbed.

    And a lot of newer houses, sheesh, vinyl siding on the outside,then gyp board,then fiberglass insulation then drywall. Like, all you need to get in someone's new house built like that nowadays-and quietly- is a simple razor knife right through the wall, skip the doors and windows. It's a problem not advertised much in the press.

  22. Re:Security? Bah! by Maskirovka · · Score: 4, Funny
    Yeah, those Japanese are so unimaginative.

    Don't worry: this is only the japanese version, designed with their market in mind. Here's a rundown of the rumored features of the American version:

    10ft Balrog formfactor
    Acetelyne driven in head to give it authentic Balrog look and industry leading Knaw.
    Feet include built in retractable heavy duty rollor blades for high speed street use, and lower speed offroad action.
    Balrog Bat flight module, for when running is not an option.
    16ft sword, splash anodized for effect.
    Broadband satalite uplink for sending realtime video as you rape and pillage Florida spammer's estate when not guarding your apartment against terrorists.
    Optional grenade launcher, still undergoing ATF testing.
    Low rader cross section.
    UltraLife Plutonium batteries

    Militarized Isreali version comming soon!

    Maskirovka