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Robosapien V2 Review - with Video

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-someone-to-bowl-for-me-is-a-priority dept.

Turismo writes "Ars Technica reviews the Robosapien V2, a two foot tall robot that can lie down, stand up, laugh, taunt, and bowl. From the article: 'The press release promises that he can bowl. Place the green plastic ball in his articulated fingers and the Robosapien V2 should grab it, wind up, and let the ball fly. He does grab the ball and he does wind up, and the first time you see it, you think your life might be about change. Now that robots can bowl, you think, it's only a matter of time before they can cook my breakfast, too.' Unfortunately, that day is still some ways off."

6 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Who'd have thought by Colin+Smith · · Score: 4, Funny

    The ability to bowl defining the level of intelligence. Homer would be proud.

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    Deleted
  2. Ball grabbing by GillBates0 · · Score: 4, Funny
    He does grab the ball and he does wind up, and the first time you see it, you think your life might be about change....

    ...as any sane man concerned about his personal well-being should be, when his scrotal sacs are being subject to a sudden pulling and potentially detaching action.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  3. Old News by refitman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The company I work for had these on sale for christmas 2005: http://www.maplin.co.uk/StoresRoboV2.asp.

    How has this made it to the front page almost 9 months later?

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    First God made idiots. That was for practice. Then He made Jack Thompson.
  4. Kids by celardore · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ars Technica reviews the Robosapien V2 [CC], a two foot tall robot that can lie down, stand up, laugh, taunt, and bowl.

    Meh... Why not just have a baby? Oh wait, gotta get laid for that to happen. There could be a market for this!

  5. Has some problems with object recognition by Rorschach1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I bought a RSV2 for my son. It has a bit of trouble walking around on carpet - especially if it needs to change directions - but it does ok. Every once in awhile, though, it'll decide my ugly green sofa is its bowling ball. It'll stand there grabbing the recliner handle and repeatedly try to lift the entire sofa. Thankfully it's not quite that strong.

    1. Re:Has some problems with object recognition by cecille · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with V2 given how well V1 worked. I was expecting a little more. V2 can barely keep his balance at all on the carpet - he gets into almost a reveberation where every step causes him to sway further and further off balance until he flies right over. He can get up if he's on his back, but most of the time he face plants.

      V1, on the other hand, was great. He looked like he was going to fall at some points, but he was as steady as a rock. In fact, I watched him win a battle or two with the cat even. When he turned, a light went on in his hand, which attracted the attention of the cat. The cat would chase the light right under the hand of the robot. The hand, of course, has sensors, and when the robot hits something, it yells "ouch". If the robot was still trying to walk as the cat was under its hand, it would repeately smash the cat with its sensor and yell "ouch" as if it was taunting it. Fantastic.

      V2 didn't fare so well. We used to put him in front of the x-mas tree in guard mode to keep the cat out, but by day 3 the cat had figured out that he wasn't so well balance. We'd come downstairs to find the robot often face down on the carpet, still flashing its little lights, and the cat just sitting happily up in the tree.

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      ...no two people are not on fire.