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Toyota Demos 'Partner Robots'
angryflute writes "Toyota has created a walker robot that the driver sits in and controls. It's meant for handicapped people to get around with, but you can easily see the potential for this technology to become the basis for a real-world version of an AT-ST Scout Walker or mobile suit Gundam -- just add guns!" Gizmodo has some more pictures.
Robots this cool and bizarre could only come from Japan. Normally, I am a fan of form following function, but am reminded in these robots of everything cool about design from a Japanese ethic. Their principal application of providing the handicapped with greater mobility is one that we are familiar with in our lab. One of our fellows is in a wheelchair (polio) and sometimes accessibility is still a problem for him, particularly obtaining things that are above his reach. Certainly the Segway folks have worked in this area before, but their form absolutely followed function and had very little of the design sensibility of Toyotas products. I also can find almost nothing on their site about products for the handicapped anymore. What happened? Has Segway abandoned all their accessibility products in favor of the HT?
Also, I imagine that since the US Army has an overriding interest in enhancing personal mobility, that they too will be paying Toyota a visit.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Aside from that, the assisted mobility thing is going to be a big, big market in the next couple of decades as the baby boomers start hitting the wall (assuming they aren't actually staring down an extra 900 years of life by then). While I seriously hope it won't look much like this given my natural fear of old people in silver spandex, I think we will see a lot of advancement in this field as the money shifts in that direction.
It's not just limited to mobility, either -- picture a recorder that is always working and allows you to privately review what just happened in your spare moments to aid memory? Heh, maybe you could even mark off when you've told a particular story to spare your loved ones the constant retelling...
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Throw in a few weapons and have a real life Battletech match!
The cop won't even suspect it's a doll if it can move its arms around.
DO you have to wear the quasi-futuristic suits to make it work? Handicapped people still have dignity you know.
Thanks.
In order to push bread down their throats.
Do you have stairs in your house?
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
...or do those prototype units look fake? I'm all for robots, but two of them look like modified Sinclair C5s, and the bipedal robot looks too shiny. Give me something drenched in oil and looking bashed to hell any day of the week.
Baka Drew
That phrase has never caused anything bad to happen.
Considering the "popularity" of Segways, I wonder if this thing will attract many interests.
These may be suitable for youngter disabled because the conventional granny scooter may be a bit of put-off.
Another concern is the recovery process. Let's look at the i-foot, which is designed to help the disabled to get around and to climb up stairs. But can it recover from a fall should accident happens?
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
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In Japan, only old people use walker robots.
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Mein gott! It's the PowerLoader from Aliens!
The friendliest digital photography forums on the net!
Hundreds of dogs are rescued each year from pounds to provide assistance for the blind members of our society.
Otherwise these dogs must be euthanized to make room for the next batch of strays coming from the street.
Won't you think of the dogs?
I hope that any large scale mechs don't give their occupant the same problem that Escaflowne did when they needed to repair it...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Sigourney Weaver may be able to get her old job back!
This sounds like a military project that flopped. =D
Gundam style robots and AT-AT's can't be far away right? Take of every zi..er toyota walker thingy!
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
I'll have one iff it comes with one of those fancy silver Futurama-like suits.
Get away from her, you bitch!
So, who's in favor of starting a paypal account for people to donate to so the geeks can get one, mount very large guns on it, and then mount a very small nuclear reactor? Destruction of cities is fun for the whole family!
I mean, really. Their engineers have this unique way of looking at problems and their solutions to those problems always leave me in awe. Not only does their population have access to the latest and greatest technology, but they are also very receptive to products that may be interpreted by the rest of the world as, "what the f***?" Keep up the great work, Japan! Only with your help will our future be realized.
A blog like any other.
Driving robots are only for old people.
The U.S. has no hope of ever being as cool as Japan, no matter how much they love to copy aspects of our, um, pop 'culture'...
Insert I-unit joke here...
First couple things I thought of when I saw the conceptual ad:
1. wtf?
2. Seriously, wtf?
3. A new Power Rangers design?
4. Cheap Peyote hits Tokyo?
5. Does it come in "Confederate Flag" with a gunrack?
and now back to the fallout shelter...
Focus development on robotic cars instead, then no one will need to drive, and a robot wont take up space in the drivers seat
There is no sig
They are so shiny and future-ish.
bigger doors.
Didn't RTFA, just looked at the pix.
But, if these things are to be practical for "handicapped" people, buildings will need MUCH bigger doors, wider aisles between office cubicles, wider hallways in homes, and higher ceilings in many places -- not to mention bigger cargo doors in personal vans, etc.
X-Bender: but i don't want people thinking we're robosexuals. if anyone asks, say you're my debugger.
The other robotic device would need to run on the street because it looks 50% larger than our current electric wheelchairs and is about as long as motorcycle. I mean sure they look cool and sound great. But when you consider its practical applications, especially in Japan, it's just rediculous.
And WTF is up with that chick dressed up in the white latex suit?!? I mean really...WTF?!?
. . . how many of y'all saw the headline "Partner Robot" and assumed that you were going to read about the debut of a ErotoBot?
Stefan
...and they've gone wrong!
Jory
I suspect that the diabled will be the last to get these things. It will be the same people who went out and got 2 or 3 Segways that end up with these first, rich-kid toys. Sad, I think, but that's my prediction.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
So when do the robots start fighting? Do all three models join together to form a larger robot?
My life cannot be complete until I own a walker robot.
That is all.
Thinkin' Lincoln - a web comic of presidential proportions
A friend of mine, who ironically is a tanker in the military fully believes that robotech battlemechs will one day be a reality. Surprisingly, he does not realize that one of the advantages that a tank has is a low profile. Granted, it does not have legs to walk around with, so it a little less mobile. However, if you are dealing with insurgents who have RPG's, or even other tanks, having a high profile is BAD. Even if you had armor that was strong enough to withstand multiple hits, the sheer force of a hit would cause a mech to topple, or at the very least lose balance.
While large mechs would be cool, they would be all to prone to getting blown up. Just giant walking targets. Now, smaller mechs, about the size of an Abrams would be mobile, and act as armor for troops would be more practical than building size robots - but Giant Mechs? Not likely. (All the above is assuming you over come all the other physical limits such as structural stress etc...)
Mech wheelchairs are a good idea however.
Try to hack my 31337 firewall!
And do I have to wear a funny suit to ride around in one of those...?
Mod me down, but I'd be on the lookout for californians to start lobbying to allow robot-human mariiages in a few years. Its a sign of the times!
Electrons are free; it is moving them that becomes expensive.
...is its OS embedded gentoo?
*winces in pain*
I, for one, welcome our senile overlords
Apparently, they will be distributing free LSD.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso
from aliens?
the one which sigourney weaver uses to battle the queen?
seems if you want to connect scifi with this robotic suit, something in construction seems most appropriate: robotic exoskeleton assisted construction workers could assemble houses like we play with legos
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
On the other hand if you do have a compact high density power source then the sky is the limit. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the only thing standing between us an a fully functional battle suit is the power supply.
MSH
he might not have to pay up
don't mess with a genius in a mechasuit
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots. Thank you.
-- Military school Commandant's graduation address, "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
Rocket Launcher
Then it can make its own doors. That and have extra jumping power.
God spoke to me.
This is wonderful news for all those handicapped people that can climb four feet.
*blinking cursor*
And would you please include chrome sneakers and oh, that lovely optional Death Ray!!!
(If at first you don't succeed, do it different next time!)
Toyota released a similar vehicle called PM at the Tokyo Auto show while back. I think Toyota is interested in these Personal Vehicles because in emerging markets like China or India, where population is very dense and poor, even small compact cars will be too large and too expensive. And considering how well the small SMART vehicles have done in Europe, I think they believe there is a market for a nimble vehicle sized between a motorcycle and a normal car. I would love to see them try!
In Soviet Russia, articles before post read *you*!
Shover or Pusher robots?
As I've always said, imagine anything from the future, add "In Japan" to the end of it, and it does not sound implausible.
For example,
"Old people have robot walking companions... in Japan."
"They've got television in their Brita containers... in Japan."
"The Xbox 2 will be a terrible failure... in Japan."
"You can rent space shuttles for families to sleep in... in Japan."
"You can buy gas masks with X-ray vision on street corners... in Japan."
Now, in Korea, it's only old people that have robot friends. Which seems to put them even further ahead in the future. Perhaps "in Korea" is the new "in Japan" -- not that either were ever really anything.
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
Hobo: Gus old chum, let's give a friendly welcome to this new robo.
[Bender rolls up his sleeves.]
Bender: What did you call me?
Gus: A robo. You know? A robot-hobo.
Bender: Oh OK I thought you said "romo."
The Mech vs Tank discussion is one that I've been into too many times to count. Bottom line is Mecha are cool to look at, but inherently too complex to be especially useful on the battlefield. Those knees are going to be inherently more fragile than a tank's suspension, and the point loading on the feet will be higher than with tracks.
Now, Toyota's application of "walker" technology for aiding the handicapped is exceptionally cool. They've still got to beat the complexity issue (a more or less conventional powered chair is cheaper and less complex) but it IS a clever way to get around the fact that most buildings are designed around people with legs, rather than people with wheels. Power chairs still mostly have trouble with stairs.
Never attribute to malice what can as easily be the result of incompetence...
I'm not going to be satisfied until the NatalieBot keeps me in as many lapdances and other, um, jobs, as I can pay the electric bill for. Plus, she needs to be able to convince my mom that she's only a phase I'm going through.
Not gonna happen buster.
(Unless you have a lot of money you want to give me.)
Can you mount rockets in the hands so you can launch them at your enemies?
Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead, Zagreus sees you in your bed and eats you in your sleep.
I believe you might be thinking of the IBOT wheelchair engineered by the same people behind the HT. Dean Kamen was the primary inventor behind both and created the IBOT with his company DEKA. I suppose one could augment the control of the wheelchair (IBOT) to be more like the Toyota product or add in some basic AI helper functionality into its control.
--Excyl
UNF.
He cannot use icq right now he has gone down the stairs.
pak. chooie. unf.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
So how long before this is the future?
"It is post-World War III. War is outlawed."
War is outlawed, that statement is priceless.
Anyone think of Arthur from "The Tick" (the cool animated series, not the lame live-action sitcom) in his moth suit when looking at the leg mech device?
All it needs is operational moth wings.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
You don't have to wear the suits but you might not like the _other_ requirement.
Laws are for people with no friends.
Imagine how useful that would be.
Say you sit in your motorcycle, the traffic slows down due to an accident. You transform the bike into your walking suits and go on the sidewalk instead. That would be so useful.
Hello, Robotech!
From the press release: "...richly entertaining show, based on the theme "The Dream, Joy and Inspiration of Mobility in the 21st Century... performance content will feature Toyota's efforts toward achieving "optimal mobility," "harmony with society" and "meeting the needs of individuals," and the future technologies and vehicle possibilities that form part of the company's vision for the society of tomorrow."
In other words, these are not meant to be practical. They are just toys for a stage show for the 2005 World Expo. Expos are well known as a platform for showcasing visions of the future, dangling futuristic toys in front of the world. But how often do these concepts make it into the real world use? 50% of the time? 25%? Less?
Cool ideas, though. Toyota should be commended for its creativity and ingenuity.
Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
500 lbs. Good luck trying. I hope the handicapped don't crush you for your insolence.
Laws are for people with no friends.
How about i-sore, those things are ugly. For all the technology in Japan they dont have an asthetic sence.
Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all
All right! Landmates coming soon from your friendly local Toyota dealer! Sign me up for a Guges-D, I'm sure the government will have no problems with that...
You must think in Russian.
This is why i love Japan. (uh not the sending handicap to war) but their interest in all things f'n cool :)
And they do it in the spirit of fun.
We have a lot to learn from our Japanese friends.
Add some plating and a weapon mount and even the disabled will be unable to resist the Empires call to battle in Iraq....
The walker robot has a mounting/dismounting mode: http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/04/1203_1d.html/
Randy: Well, yeah, but I have one question about the way it works.
Mr. Garrison: Sure.
Randy: Well, it seems all the buttons on these front and rear flexigrips are also found on the side of the vehicle.
Mr. Garrison: Yeup.
Randy: Well... so... they don't really... do anything.
Mr. Garrison: Right.
Randy: So then, couldn't I just order one that works without going in and out of my ass and mouth?
Mr. Garrison: [thinks about this a moment] Well, I... guess you could.
I wonder what that curved glass face-shield is for? It would be pretty easy to build a heads-up display projector into that column running up behind the driver's head, and display speed, heading, GPS map, etc. for the driver! (I suddenly want one, very badly! ^_^)
At last!
They were at first going to call it a 'spouse robot', but Japan passed a constitutional amendment banning robosexual marriage. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.
Only old people think PartersBots can do the nasty.
Say you sit in your motorcycle, the traffic slows down due to an accident. You transform the bike into your walking suits and go on the sidewalk instead. That would be so useful.
..but I believe present-day motorcycles already have the capability to use the sidewalk, without the need for transformation.
--
As in "domestic partners"? 10 states already outlawed gay marriage. I'm not sure that they're going to let this slide.
Damn it! When is this going to make it to the toy market. I want my Super Toy!
Exoskeletons a la DARPA The military has been interested in combat exoskeletons for some time. DARPA has been poking its nose around this idea for years.
-- Mal: "Well they tell you: never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is, on occasion, hilarious."
If you're going for something that's going to be sturdy when taking fire surely you ought to follow nature - add a couple more legs.
Sure it won't be the cool 'Battlemech' everyone wants to see with the stars and stripes flying from it ("Hahahah! Look how much money we have, this baby cost as much as your whole defence budget!!!one1one!") but it'll probably be nearly impossible to knock over.
This is HUGE for people with disabilites.
Quote:
If this works the way it supposed to, if it really works.... it's going to change the lives of thousands and thousands of people in an extremely profound way. This just made my day.
RandomAndInteresting.comdefending the world from stupidity since 1979
.. by the obvious glee the submitter has for the idea of making giant killing machines real?
/soapbox.
Newsflash, army and sci-fi geeks: in the real world, it's not cool when people get killed. Please let us try to remember that weapons are for killing, despite the fact that they look cool and have neat shiny features.
ok,
Until I have my exosuit...
Combining scientific commercial leaps in technology with the advances made by the military, it is not long until a full-fledged exosuit becomes a reality.
This will literally revolutionise everything, civilian and military.
My friends, look at the scientific advances we are making. It is not long before life as you know it undergoes a drastic change.
I, for one, will enjoy introducing myself as one of your new overlords.
using my own legs like a sucker! Homer Simpson
If you live long enough eventually you get to see everything.
In the "main show" image, the four wheeled vehicles look a bit Segway-esque. Does anyone else agree?
The term "partner robot" has connotations that the Japanese probably didn't intend.
Landmates, baby! All we're missing is the hot chick with gun and the massive cyborg with even bigger guns.
I'm not crazy,I'm actively irresponsible.
"Renew! Renew! Renew!"
With the tagline 'Partner Robots' from Japan I was kinda thinking they would have more tentacles.
Sit... Speak.... Shake.... Good Dog!
HTH HAND
If it's willing, it isn't slavery, moron...
It appears to me the one that got the grace and speed armor thing right was Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, when it showed the Tachkomas (sp?), little one man spider tanks with wheels on the bottoms of the legs. They can hop and dodge, lean, spin out, and hit the highways like a car if they need to.
It's like Tony Hawk was driving the thing.
I would however, like to add that the one thing that people are missing with the abilities of an armored "waldo" suit would be the way that a man could change battle tactics entirely. A regular infantry squad with one armored man alone could wreck havok, considering he could make breaches where there was no door, rescue the wounded, and run point in dangerous situations.
Ask yourself this... how useful would a tank be that could walk up stairs to clean out an apartment building, or throw heavy ammo on top of a roof to a quick gun emplacement?
I agree with most here, the smaller the better. The real reasons our tanks are so large is to fit the large guns. That is all.
I give that image the gay graphic of the week by a major corp award.
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/1203/toyot a.htm
next invention in the works is the realistic fem bot for all the lonley /.ers who are sick of patching up thier blow up doll.
Subject says it all. Please don't mod this down just because you don't understand the reference.
Automated armor is almost certainly on it's way. Only it won't be giant mechs, it will be improvments in current designs.
Once you remove the need to house & protect the humans in a tank, you can significantly change it's size & shape, making it lower (with an elevating mount for the main gun), narrower (the better to go through forests), and lighter (only put the heaviest armor on the important parts). You'd still want to use tracks because of how they distribute weight, but you could put helper arms on the front for climbing over obstacles (much like what's on the tracker bot recconaisance units).
Removing the humans from the chassis also leaves room for more computing power. Once the DARPA Grand Challenge results in self-navigation software, you can add on additional software for the vehicles to act in self-organizing swarms, as well as position themselves in formations that maximize their lethality.
Instead of the "A" in UAV standing for "aerial", it would stand for "armored".
Chip H.
But when the Angels return, and your precious little tanks smash themselves in a pathetic show of futility against their AT fields; THEN you'll be thanking the Japanese for getting a head start on the development of mecha necessary to actually fight, and kill, an Angel.
cya,
john
Imagine all the people...
The very same computer controlled actuators that keep it balanced when walking would keep it balanced when someone tried to push it over.
Try pushing over something powerful enough to move around 500 lbs that doesn't want to be pushed over.
Wait till it pushes back!
Yeah. I bet your crystal's red too.
Here's a story about it, from well over a year ago.
Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
I want one like Sigourney Weaver uses in Aliens (2) as a dock-loader, then later to battle the Alien.