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Two-Legged Home Robot, Coming Soon To Japan

An anonymous reader submits "Two Japanese companies, (ZMP corp., and Mizuno, a athletic goods manufacturer), announced that they will start selling the first two-legged robot for home use. The robot, called nuvo, will retail for 500,000 yen. It wil be able to understand 1,000 (Japanese) words, dance, and allow the owner to contact the robot via 3G phones."

10 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. The price by Hobbex · · Score: 5, Informative

    Since nobody has noted it yet, 500,000 yen is about $4,500.

    Source: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

  2. Translation.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The 2-pair-of-shoes bipedal robot which can play at home is put on the market just over or below [ one ] 500,000 yen also at the end of this year. It was opened to the public on the 2nd by "nuvo (?-bow)" which the venture business "ZMP" of robot development and Mizuno, a major sporting-goods company, developed jointly. The loan but for advertisement of a company famous is a center, generally "QRIO (KYURIO)" of Sony and "ASIMO (ASHIMO)" of Honda turn a 2-pair-of-shoes bipedal robot, and sale is new. nuvo is the height of 39cm, and the weight of 2.5km. It walks all around, and when it falls, supine and either which lies prone also rise by himself. About 1000 words of a conversation level are made to be memorized every day, and it salutes or dances according to directions. A camera is built in a face. The screen seen from the robot is checked from a going-out place using the 3rd generation cellular phone of NTT DoCoMo, and it becomes the "surveillance robot" which can also do remote control. The cost of development lessened this joint and held down the price. 3000 or more sets of sale are expected in the first year. (03/03 08:02)

  3. DON'T use the fish! by fbjon · · Score: 5, Informative

    The fish sucks for japanese, use excite.co.jp instead:

    excite translation

    --
    True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
  4. Do the dishes by IroNick · · Score: 5, Informative

    It has a funny way of walking! Watch the video.

    But it won't do the dishes, though...

  5. Translation (by me)... by line.at.infinity · · Score: 4, Informative

    A two-legged robot that can play at home will be sold at the end of the year at 500,000 yen (less than $5,000) per robot. Robot development venture ZMP and Sportswear maker Mizuno jointly developed "nuvo" -- released on March 2.

    Among two-legged robots, Sony's QRIO and Honda's ASIMO are popular. Howver, they are mostly rented out, and serve purposes of advertisement -- not aimed at sale to the general public.

    nuvo is 39 cm tall, 2.5 kg. It can walk in all four directions, and when it falls in either direction, it can get up with its own strength. It can be taught 1,000 words for daily colloquial speech. It can also do such things as bowing and dancing upon being instructed.

    The face has a built-in camera. Using a 3G cell phone, images viewed by the robot can be confirmed, and remote operation can be practiced, making it a surveilance robot.

    Joints, which are costly to develop, were minimized to lower its price. The companies look forward to selling 3,000 items by the beginning of next year.

  6. More pics & movies by News+for+nerds · · Score: 4, Informative

    here of press event, hosted at PC watch. The robot can recover from fallen down state by himself. Enjoy

  7. Human Translation by jetfuel · · Score: 5, Informative

    A two legged robot that you can play with in your home will be available as early as the end of this year for 500000 yen. Venture company ZMP and sports equipment company Mizuno, together announced on the 2nd.

    As for 2 legged robots, Sony's QRIO and Honda's ASIMO are famous, but they are mainly for publicity purposes and are rarely purchased for general use.

    nuvo is 39 centimeters, and 2.5 kilograms. It can walk forward, backward, left, or right, and if it falls, can get up automatically from any position. It can be taught about 1000 words, follow directions, (something [jishiki?]) or dance.

    In the head is a camera. Using NTT DoCoMo 3rd generation phones, you can see from the robot's perspective, and use it as a remote controlled "security robot".

    Minimizing the use of joints allowed the cost to remain low. Over 3000 orders are expected by the new year.

    1. Re:Human Translation by mm0mm · · Score: 4, Informative
      Good work.
      It can be taught about 1000 words, follow directions, (something [jishiki?]) or dance.
      Actually the word reads "ojigi," and it means "bowing (greeting)." So the whole sentence reads:
      "[it] memorizes 1000 words of conversational vocabulary, and bows and dances by orders."
      I found it amusing that Japanese engineers imprinted what is known as their stereotypical behavior (bowing) to the robot. You say, "Hey, Robot! Apologize!" and this robot will bow in front of you without knowing what he did wrong. What a nice pet.
  8. Re:A toy? by batura · · Score: 5, Informative

    The mean age in Japan is approaching 70

    Uh, I thought that sounded a little rediculus, so I thought I would check around. I was right according to the this: CIA Factbook

    The mean and median ages are barely past forty.

  9. English article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    There is an English article at the Japan times