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Robots!
i4u writes "Sony introduces at the Robodex 2003 it's new version of the humanoid Robot SDR-4X.
The Sony SDR-4X was introduced last year.
The new version SDR-4X II has improved movement functions, safety functions and conversation capabilities.
The new speech processor supports continuous speech recognition with about 20,000 words.
The Sony SDR-4X II is about 580x190x270mm in size and weighs about 7kg. Sony Japanse Press-Release. See also the new robot Toshiba announced - the ApriAlpha."
in Japanese, right? in which case (if we count kanji characters) is a LOT.
btw japanese is a pain in the butt compared to english - I think if the robot really manages conversation in japanese, english is cake. Why I say that? most spoken japanese has no subject, object, and ususally can be interpreted in multiple ways based on context.
lastly, notice all the humanoid robots go around with slightly bent knees. whassup with that? anybody know? I go around with a bent knee because I am bow-legged, but I hardly think the sony robot has that problem.
My life in the land of the rising sun.
Don't forget to buy robot insurance! "To protect us from the metal ones".
The new speech processor supports continuous speech recognition with about 20,000 words.
Yeah, I'll show it 20,000 continuous words... I usually fade away after around 17,835 continuous words or less. Say A-men, brothers!
Seriously, it's a good listener. I think I'll get one for the girlfriend, and I can have a nice break.
Compared to war, all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance. God, how I love it. - Gen. George Patton
Interesting that from a nation that loves its giant battling robots (as seen in every other anime series from Japan) there is enough desire on the part of the manufacturers to create such robots in real life. And that there is enough demand there to make it worthwhile. They wouldn't be able to make these things if they couldn't sell them; You wouldn't be able to get the vast majority of North Americans to shell out a couple thousand on these things or an AIBO for instance. I'm a geek and I think these are cool but you won't catch me buying one until it's smart enough to get a job and make money to pay for itself. So why do the Japanese love these things so much? Any thoughts?
Sony is introducing a new robot, but this is only part of the story. Sony is betting its future on robots. Sony believes robotics will be bigger than the computer industry in 30 years. And there are many other robots coming, in hospitals, in New York steam pipes or on the battlefield. Look for example at Elvis, designed by Pyxis, which carries medications, or the future Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Wakamaru, a home caretaker for the elderly. Check this column for more details or read this Newsweekarticle.