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Don't Be Rude To This Robot

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the real-dinosaurs-were-much-less-emo dept.

News.com is running an article on an emotionally-responsive dinosaur robot that the Ugobe company has in the works for 2007. Called 'Pleo', the animatronic Apatosaurus will respond to the vocal intonations of its owners. It won't be able to understand vocal commands; instead, its mood will be dictated by the tone of voice used at it. A terse tone can result in a depressed dino. From the article: "Ugobe will try to go beyond selling a walking/talking toy. The company will publish a developers' kit and open its source code, making the Pleo something of a cousin to the Lego Mindstorms kits or the old Radio Shack 64-in-1 electronics kits. Consumers thus will be able to download 'personality modules' and see how their Pleos react to different stimuli ... Ultimately, the company may license the technology so others can build or incorporate robots into their own products. 'We've created a toolset for making lifelike robots,' Ugobe CEO Bob Christopher said."

10 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. I for one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one welcome our emotionally unstable robot overlords.

    1. Re:I for one by Chaffar · · Score: 3, Funny

      28 October 2006: Korea invents Robotic Sentry with Gattling Gun. 16 November 2006: Skyn^H^H^H^H Google plans to run on nuclear power. 26 November 2006: First Emotional Robot Created. 25 December 2006: Somebody somewhere decides to combine 2 of the aformentioned elements. 26 December 2006: End of the world as we know it.

    2. Re:I for one by Hogwash+McFly · · Score: 4, Funny

      I too welcome women.

      --
      Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
  2. They should combine research by macadamia_harold · · Score: 2, Informative

    They should combine research with this guy.

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
    1. Re:They should combine research by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I wish these guys would license the technology.
      Imagine them mooing in response to the tone of your voice...

  3. You better get the reference. by commisaro · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sounds awful...

  4. Beaten to market by AT&T by macadamia_harold · · Score: 4, Funny

    I heard that AT&T was developing another kind of robot that you don't want to be rude to.

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
  5. So is it real this time? by CerebusUS · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They've been criticized in the past for faking demonstrations. YouTube example here

  6. Standby flamewar by eclectro · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's one dinosaur that was intelligently designed.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  7. Your love keeps lifting me higher by Dachannien · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ray: You! You worthless piece of slime! You ignorant disgusting blob!
    Egon: You're nothing but an unstable short-chained molecule!
    Ray: You foul obnoxious muck!
    Egon: You have a weak electrochemical bond!
    Ray: I have seen some disgusting crud in my time, but you take the cake!