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Robots Put on Show at World Robot Expo in Japan

rjelks writes "The World Robot Expo is going on right now in Japan. The exhibition is displaying prototypes of robots that draw, dance and mimic humans. Developers believe that growth in the robotics industry will grow rapidly in the coming decade. They hope that soon robots will become a common occurrence in our homes."

51 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. you keep dreaming of robots in the home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny


    and i'll keep dreaming about flying cars and silver suits

    1. Re:you keep dreaming of robots in the home by The_Mystic_For_Real · · Score: 1
      I think those visions of the future are a fine barometer of what society is interested in seeing in the future. These crack pipe visions of the future provide a goal for the application of science that is in the distance. After 50 years robots in the home are getting closer to a reality. It seems that flying cars, in the form of passenger rockets and very fast jets are still on the distant horizon, but they seem possible.

      Silver suits, well, I'm sure rappers are share your dream and are getting closer with every album sold.

      --

      _____

      Thank you.

    2. Re:you keep dreaming of robots in the home by Rei · · Score: 3, Funny

      Come on, how do flying cars compare to having your own grammar robot to correct you when you use grammar not good?

      --
      "This wallpaper is killing me. One of us has got to go." -- Oscar Wilde on his deathbed
    3. Re:you keep dreaming of robots in the home by enginuitor · · Score: 1
      "Come on, how do flying cars compare to having your own grammar robot to correct you when you use grammar not good?"
      Ironically, your grammar was technically correct.
    4. Re:you keep dreaming of robots in the home by BFaucet · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I have a Roomba. It's a robot and in my home. w00t!

      And I'll keep dreaming of a computer millions of times as powerful as the eniac that'll fit in a small box and will be common place in homes.

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      -Derick
  2. Robots Put on Show at World Robot Expo in Japan!! by sonoluminescence · · Score: 4, Funny

    No way!

    Robots! at a robot expo!

    What is the world coming too?

    vv

    --
    Karma: Bad. Calmer, good.
  3. Um by antifoidulus · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's not "World Robot Expo", it's just the "World Expo", they are showing off plenty of things besides robots.

    1. Re:Um by Aaron+Pannell · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, I for one welcome our new robotic overlords.

      --
      "We can't stop here! This is bat country."
    2. Re:Um by Orinthe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, it's a robotics exposition held at/during EXPO/Aichi Expo/ Aichi Exposition of Global Harmony. It's a World's Fair.

      I was living in Aichi prefecture for 6 months prior to it--you can't live anywhere near the region and not know it, the merchandising was incessant. Unfortunately, I left Japan just a few weeks before it began. :( I'm hoping to head back within the next month so I can go (it lasts until September).

      I especially want to find out about the Linear Express, the latest Japanese bullet train--it's a maglev train that will travel 570KPH from OsakaKyotoNagoyaTokyo (or something like that). Even the newest "Nozomi" class shinkansen bullet trains only travel something like 170KPH... less than impressive.

      --
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  4. Now /.'ers can have their own robo girlfriend! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    As seen on engadget!

    http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000563046382/

    Of couse, the linux crowd would make theirs out of duct tape and plastic....

  5. Ha ha by ROFLMAObot · · Score: 1, Funny

    I guess we can expect some futurama-esque showgirl robots. That would probably lead to a to-be-popular robot genre of pornography. Ha ha.

  6. Robotics, the new "Bubble"? by mrkitty · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Within the next 10 years or so we'll start to see a big boom in R&D in countries like India and China with Technologies relating to computer systems. America will soon find itself 'competing' agressively with these countries due to the low costs of running a buisness. For the past few years robotics have agressively developed and will probably end up being the next 'big thing'. Of course the US will jump on board. Could this be the next 'Bubble'?

    --
    Believe me, if I started murdering people, there would be none of you left.
  7. Common occurance ... maybe not.. by guyfromindia · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They hope that soon robots will become a common occurrence in our homes
    Woah! hang on... buddies..
    For example

    Tennoji High School in Osaka, central Japan, will receive 50 million yen (US$460,000; euro376,000) over three years in government money meant to produce technological whiz kids.

    Japan has budgeted 1.3 billion yen (US$12 million; euro9.8 million) a year for the program, splitting the money between 82 high schools, which are using their grants to focus on rocket engineering, genetics and solar energy.

    If other countries too follow Japan, by giving importance to education, well, maybe Robots will be a 'common occurance' soon...
    my 2c

  8. "Draw, Dance, And Mimic"?? by John+Hasler · · Score: 3, Insightful

    > They hope that soon robots will become a common
    > occurrence in our homes.

    I don't think there is a big market for robots that draw, dance, and mimic humans. I could use one that would clean stalls, though.

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
    1. Re:"Draw, Dance, And Mimic"?? by Al+Mutasim · · Score: 1

      The high-profile Japanese robotics efforts seem focused on "cute" designs, such as QRIO, AIBO, Wakamaru, ASIMO, and so forth. The successful recent U.S. efforts, such as Roomba, PackBot, Talon, and Da Vinci, tend to be uncute but useful. There is a decided cultural difference.

  9. When will these robots actually be useful? by CyricZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Every decade we hear that robots will be commonly used within the house within the next decade. And then another decade passes, and we're still not using robots. I'm sure the technology will eventually arive, but maybe we should let things run their course. Instead of promising that they'll be popular within x many years or decades, let's just say they will be popular someday.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    1. Re:When will these robots actually be useful? by Al+Mutasim · · Score: 1

      I think there are signs that robots are coming to the home for real this time. Take iRobot's Roomba, with 1.2 million units sold. If there is already a solid (though admittedly not overwhelming) market for a wandering, vacuuming robot, can, say a wandering lawn-mowing robot be that far off? Or a vacuuming robot that does more than wander? It's a sign.

  10. after having RTFA by djdavetrouble · · Score: 1

    let me be the first to say, THAT LINK SUCKED.
    no robot pictures.
    no robot movies.
    just 2 stupid ass looking robots playing trumpets.

    --
    music lover since 1969
    1. Re:after having RTFA by Vorondil28 · · Score: 1

      Wow.
      Yeah, I second that.

      --
      This sig rocks the casbah.
  11. Meanwhile... by hobotron · · Score: 5, Funny

    another robot mimicking humans was unavailable for comment

    --
    There is truth in humor.
  12. Silly robots by Mspangler · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't need a dancing robot, or a drawing robot. I need a fruit picking robot. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apples, etc.

    A weed pulling robot sounds good too. If it can tell a pigweed from a cucumber, there is a market for it.

    Just our luck humans end up with the field work, and the robots end up sitting on their ass spewing Vogon-class poetry, and telling us the reason we don't like it is our lack of a classical education.

    1. Re:Silly robots by janwedekind · · Score: 1

      Maybe you should ask the robot to draw a picture with all the weed being highlighted in red ;)

  13. Robot Art by WordNA · · Score: 1

    What sort of things will a household robot be able to draw? Will they draw what they see through a digital camera and run an algorithm that makes it look like it was hand drawn?
    Will it have a database of (boring) things to draw?
    Maybe fractals.

    Maybe it can draw Pr0n? Though i doubt it'd be terribly imaginative... Robot: I have drawn you something You: Wow, another square. Great...

  14. But it is how you lose customer trust. by CyricZ · · Score: 1

    You may get increased funding for making wild claims, but unless such claims are backed up with real improvements, you will do nothing but lose trust. Trust of the investors, customers, and even your peers. Hollow claims are no match for delivering results.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  15. Wait, I miss the point of this... by internetjunkiegeorge · · Score: 1

    function movelefthandindexfingertopjoint {movingmechanicspiece(342445);} function movelefthandindexfingermiddlejoint {movingmechanicspiece(342444);} Wait, aren't robots supposed to save time by doing this for us?

  16. I was there yesterday by howman · · Score: 4, Informative

    I saw a number of robots during my 5+ hrs at EXPO and hope to actually get into the Toyota pavillion (130min wait time)to see their song and dance routine when I go again tomorrow.

    The ones I saw included a tour guide robot that was, if you can imagine, like one of those old dime store fortune tellers except it looked like a japanese real doll (tm) flight attendant done up in a lime green suit and hat. You could ask it for directions to venues using voice command (japanese only of course) and it would give you verbal directions. With my piss poor understanding of Japanese, I could not make out if it was giving the right answers or not, but the voice seemed like a pre recorded message. I guess the thing did not understand, or had difficulty with background noise as quite often people would have to repeat their questions a few times, slower and closer to the mic which was basically a mesh ball mounted to the counter in front of the robot.
    It's movements were for lack of a better word, robotic and they didn't do the skin very well as it looked like satin silicon. It did do decent facial expressions while it was talking and from the looks on peoples faces, i guess it did a good job of matching facial experessions to dialogue. Again there was about a 20 min wait to get to try it out.

    Another one I did see was in front of the India pavillion and it was what you would expect a robot to look like from the sixties all shiny red plastic and black lexan. It had a huge bubble head and arms of a sort that moved slightly. This one too would give you directions of a sort and answer a few other questions as well as respond to people's proximity and stop moving if you were very close so you could have your picture taken with it. There was an attendant minding it to help people in it's usage and to keep kids from climbing aboard for a free ride as it ws on wheels and moved very slowly around what I imagine was a pre defined path although I could not see any magnetic tape on the ground or a remote in the attendants hand.

    --
    flinging poop since 1969
  17. Robot Expo? Eek! by Rei · · Score: 1

    Well, whatever you do, don't take Grandma. If you must, at all costs, keep her away from the stairs!

    --
    "This wallpaper is killing me. One of us has got to go." -- Oscar Wilde on his deathbed
  18. Not a world ROBOT expo by jdubois79 · · Score: 3, Informative

    It should be noted that the Aichi World Expo is not a Robot Expo, but a Energy Conservation Expo.

    It also showcases the latest technology from many major Japanese companies.

    The Expo Site, in English

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    Nothing can be done before the tremendous power!
    RabidComics
    1. Re:Not a world ROBOT expo by knickerbocker · · Score: 1

      Not an Energy Conservation Expo. It is what we commonly call the World's Fair. I believe the next one is scheduled for 2008 and will be held in Spain.

  19. The official brochure... by mikael · · Score: 1

    ... can be found here.
    Probably the most unhuman looking robot is the ACM-R5, which is basically a snake design with a camera for the head. Just add some poison darts/fangs, and WestWorld will become reality.

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  20. Theme by howman · · Score: 2, Informative

    The theme of the EXPO is enviornment so all of the country pavillions are geared towards that, but the robots are mostly if not all part of the corporate pavilions which include Toyota, Hitachi, Mitsui-Toshiba among others. But even theirs are geared towards the theme and how their technology improved the enviornment.

    --
    flinging poop since 1969
  21. Robot Rooter... by mjfgates · · Score: 2, Interesting

    All of the things that I'd really want a robot for, it would get dirty quickly, and then get grit inside it, and then skizkeewunchgktktklllghh...

    Which is a silly way to put it, but a real issue: before you can have a robot in every home, you have to have a robot that can OPERATE in a home, for something like a year, with no maintenance. Anything less and there just wouldn't be a point.

    1. Re:Robot Rooter... by mjfgates · · Score: 1

      Soda cans? TISSUES? Oh, I wish. I've got a four-year-old. I know how many square inches of carpet one strawberry can completely soak with pulp and juice when it's thoroughly stomped in by little feet.

  22. They live in their own little world... by derEikopf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Until they can figure out some way to make humanoid robots BETTER than humans (which is a LONG way off), nobody's going to buy them except as novelties.

  23. Robot bullshit by shoolz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Call me when this is a reality:

    Leave it to Roll-oh (Worth every second of your time for a great laugh)

    I expect my +1 funny mods when the genrally-painful archive.org download completes. I'd go into more deatil in this post if the 'punchline' wasn't worth the mystique :)

  24. Title is incorrect. by Fallingcow · · Score: 1

    Should read:

    Robots Put on Show at World Robot Expo... in Japan!

  25. Obligatory Simpsons by The+Hobo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mobsters: Shut uppa you face Linguo: Shut up your face

    --
    There is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men. -- Boondock Saints
    1. Re:Obligatory Simpsons by MrCopilot · · Score: 1
      Linguo? Dead?

      Linguo is dead.

      --
      OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
  26. lawnmower by JanneM · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Autonomous wandering lawnmowers have been for sale for years already. Here's one example:

    http://www.electrolux.se/node141.asp

    --
    Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    1. Re:lawnmower by Al+Mutasim · · Score: 1

      True, robotic mowers have been around for while--but the number sold is low, tens of thousands instead of millions.

  27. Glitch-related "spasms" by bitrex · · Score: 1

    "But given Q1's reported glitch-related 'spasms' at the expo, it may be a while before androids are escorting tour groups or looking after children"

    For some reason I'm picturing a female Japanese robot in a pink blazer with shoulderpads, spinning and flailing around on the floor like Pris after Deckard caps her in Blade Runner.

  28. Some photographs by salke · · Score: 2, Informative
  29. Very realistic android by numLocked · · Score: 2, Informative

    Engadget has just posted this article. Very creepy realistic android.

  30. That Growing Growth by michaeltaft · · Score: 1

    The editor in me can't resist: "Developers believe that the robotics industry will grow rapidly in the coming decade."

  31. Real Soon Now, eh? by Caspian · · Score: 1
    They hope that soon robots will become a common occurrence in our homes.


    Yeah, and "they" (whoever "they" might be) have been saying this since, what, 1950?

    Give me a fucking break already. Unless they define "robot" as "Roomba" (or similar extremely simple single-purpose devices that only qualify as "robots" by the most generic of textbook definitions), this ain't happenings.

    Wake me when "they" are done with this pie-in-the-sky bullshit on the topic of "robots in the home". That, or when they have my flying car ready for me. Or my disease-curing nanites. Or my personal spacecraft. Or...
    --
    With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
  32. Ballroom dance robot by FleaPlus · · Score: 1

    One of the really neat robots at the expo that I read about was a ballroom dance robot. There were articles on it at CNN and Yahoo. Basically, as it dances it matches the upper body movements of a human partner, sort of like what happens in real ballroom dancing.

    It reminded me of research by an MIT student last year on swing dancing robots. Clever haptic interfaces are cool.

  33. Is That a Good Thing? by MSTCrow5429 · · Score: 1
    "They hope that soon robots will become a common occurrence in our homes."

    Yes, as they break down the door with their augmented fists and we hide in vain in the bathroom from the robotic onslaught of death.

    --
    Slashdot: Playing Favorites Since 1997
  34. They are already here if you believe dumb sales by tod_miller · · Score: 1

    Really, the 'Ironing Robot'? They should be ashamed. I actually saw on of these at my local elecronics store.

    Large hair dryer != robot, even if you place a shirt on it to be 'ironed'.

    Anthropomorphic devices are robots. Ginger bread men are not robots.

    What is a robot? Go google it yer lazies. Something about moving around, sensors... blah.

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  35. Re:Robots Put on Show at World Robot Expo in Japan by Animus+Moth · · Score: 1

    Where are the Robot rights associations? Shouldn't these poor robots have the right to a decent life? Are we back to the time where people were displayed on fairs and circus !?

  36. I want to hear toyota's robot band by chocolatetrumpet · · Score: 1

    anyone know of a recording?

    --
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  37. Might not be all good news... by smimi10 · · Score: 1

    I wrote a little about this here , but you should also check out Marshall Brain's Robotic Nation essays for more. It might not be all good news for a rapid rise of robotic technologies. Espcially if the socio-economic factors aren't taken into consideration from the beginning.