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NAO Humanoid Robot Set To Hit the Market

Posted by kdawson on from the can-you-say-awww-cute dept.

KentuckyFC writes "Earlier this year, Paris-based Aldebaran-Robotics picked up $8 million in venture capital funding to help commercialize its NAO humanoid robot. The target market for this device is research labs working on the next generation of robotic hardware and software. Today, the company has posted a detailed spec of NAO on the arXiv saying that it expects the robot to cost about $15,000 each. That's cheap compared to other humanoids. Fuitsu's HOAP humanoids cost $50,000 each and various estimates price Honda's Asimo at $1 million per bot, although they are not for sale. Aldebaran-Robotics says that NAO's cost should come down to about $6,000 as production ramps up."

27 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Posterity will condemn us... by Stanistani · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A hundred years from now, whether the readers are C or Fe, they will get a feeling of nausea reading about the 'retail prices' of 'humanoids.'

    --
    You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
    1. Re:Posterity will condemn us... by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 5, Funny

      A hundred years from now, whether the readers are C or Fe, they will get a feeling of nausea reading about the 'retail prices' of 'humanoids.'

      No, because it will be illegal to talk about the robocaust.

    2. Re:Posterity will condemn us... by 4D6963 · · Score: 3, Funny

      To be fair, even natural-born humans have a price, 5.1 million dollars if I remember right, according to the US government.

      The subtlety being in the word 'retail'. The US government doesn't sell people in "people stores".

      Or does it?

      --
      You just got troll'd!
    3. Re:Posterity will condemn us... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, because it will be illegal to talk about the robocaust.

      You sound like a Robocaust denier!

    4. Re:Posterity will condemn us... by Godji · · Score: 3, Funny

      Indeed it does not. One can only get a person through the OEM channels.

    5. Re:Posterity will condemn us... by Emperor+Zombie · · Score: 3, Funny

      Robocaust? What robocaust? I've never heard of a robocaust before. It sounds like something made up by a /.er.

      Yeah, everyone knows the correct term is Robocalypse.

      --
      I'm so excited I just made water in my pantaloons!
  2. Not soon enough! by __aailob1448 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I want my robot NAO!

  3. Science Fiction to Science by Van+Cutter+Romney · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Somewhere in the back of my mind I have this strange feeling that we are slowly heading into Asimov's world. And all the problems (and benefits) that come along with it ...

    --
    Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
    1. Re:Science Fiction to Science by sm62704 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Asimov's universe has robots being banned on Earth, robot colonies dying, and robotics itself dying as well, with R. Daneel Olivaw being the only remaining robot in a galaxy with no non-human sentient life (except on Gaia, where everything is sentient).

      I think Asimov's robots will be about as like the real future's robots as his Multivac is to the internet. I don't see robots being banned.

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    2. Re:Science Fiction to Science by Stanistani · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think we are more likely to be governed by these Three Laws:

      1. A citizen may not criicize the government or, through inaction, allow the government to be criticized.

      2. A citizen must obey orders given to it by the government, except where such orders would conflict with corporate profits.

      3. A citizen must protect itself from unregulated media as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

      --
      You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
  4. Before anyone asks.. by Blice · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, it does run Linux.

  5. Why humanoid? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't see the appeal to having a humanoid robot. The robots in Wall*e for example were all designed for a function.

    I think of any robot as a machine. They are there to serve a purpose. Even the IVR systems make me angry when they imply "I'm sorry. I didn't get that". No, the computer didn't recognize what I said. And "you" aren't sorry.

    Anthropomorphizing robots, cute as they are in Wall*e, is insulting to the beauty of that which is life.

    1. Re:Why humanoid? by Wiarumas · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Just to bring up an interesting point, in the Animatrix's story about the rise of power of machines, they start out as humanoid (as we designed them that way) and evolve into insect-like creatures by the end as they continue to improve upon their robotic designs.

      --
      I will bend like a reed in the wind.
    2. Re:Why humanoid? by fireboy1919 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Anthropomorphizing robots, cute as they are in Wall*e, is insulting to the beauty of that which is life.

      That's only when the robots look like robots. When the robots look like hot chicks that are anatomically correct (if well-endowed), then it's a complement to the beauty that is life.

      And by a complement, I mean that I want two of them. One to complement each arm.

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      Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
    3. Re:Why humanoid? by pitchpipe · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't see the appeal to having a humanoid robot.

      Sex.

      Anthropomorphizing robots, cute as they are in Wall*e, is insulting to the beauty of that which is life.

      Anthropomorphizing robots is all about what my previous statement was about. Fuck the beauty of life, we're talking utilization here.

      --
      Look where all this talking got us, baby.
    4. Re:Why humanoid? by Kingrames · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Fuck the beauty of life,"

      I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

      --
      If you can read this, I forgot to post anonymously.
    5. Re:Why humanoid? by Sethumme · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You are right that robots are built to serve a specific purpose, but keep in mind that most robotic functions are ones that were previously done by us humans. So it's quite possible that one day we will want a robot that performs some human task that requires human proportions, such as carrying our bags while at the same time navigating stairs and fitting through doorways or even into cars.

      Of course, we could also want robots for companionship, in the same way people find comfort in pets. But in that case, we'd design the robot to look like Robin Williams.

    6. Re:Why humanoid? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Specialized robots are useless outside their function, and are thus just expensive deadweight when not in use. For example, a Roomba is great at vacuuming a floor, but when the floor is clean it can't do anything else. It can't carry boxes or wash dishes. You'd need additional robots for those specialized tasks, and they're going have the same "deadweight" problem as the Roomba too.

      A humanoid robot would be able to do any physical job that a human could do. Such robots would be versatile enough to be useful all the time. A single humanoid robot vacuums the floor, then it carries boxes, and then washes dishes, and then etc etc etc. A humanoid robot would always be useful in some way, and thus more efficient in the long run.

  6. Re:23 Inches by tb()ne · · Score: 3, Funny

    The picture states that the robot has "23 inches" and points to a questionable area...

    Whoever annotated the photo apparently felt obliged to graphically tie every feature to a part of the robot. So, in addition to the impressive 23" (which apparently ends mid-way down the thigh), the robot has emotions in its head, an embedded CPU in its mouth, and Linux in its belly.

  7. The technical specs (yes, it runs linux) by __aailob1448 · · Score: 4, Informative

    For all the details, hit this PDF

    NAOs head is equipped with an x86 AMD GEODE 500 MHz CPU motherboard with 256 Mb SDRAM. An additional 1Gb Flash memory is available. Communication with the robot is possible through WiFi 802.11g protocol and through Ethernet port. The CPU manages audio, video, and WiFi and other advanced modules. One ARM7-60MHz microcontroller located in the torso distributes information to all the actuator module microcontrollers (Microchip 16 bit dsPICS) through a RS485 bus (throughput of 460[Kbits=s]). There are two RS485 buses, one that connects the ARM7 microcontroller to the dsPICS modules of the upper part of the body, and the other that connects the ARM7 to the dsPICS modules of the lower part of the body. This bus partition permits to increase the data throughput.

    The ARM-7 microcontroller communicates with the CPU board through a USB-2 bus with a theoretical throughput of 11[Mbits=s]. It can be used to control the robots stabilityusing the inertial unit. The operating system is based on Linux, but the whole system can be modified.

    Sensors:

    30 FPS CMOS videocamera 1
    Gyrometer 2
    Accelerometer 3
    Magnetic rotary encoder (MRE) 34
    FSR 8
    Infrared sensor (emitter/receiver) 2
    Ultrasonic sensor 2
    Loudspeaker 2
    Microphone 4

  8. How humanoid is she? by sm62704 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ok, this is quite unlike me but I clicked the link and... Terminator 0.0.1 (alpha) looks like a robotic clown. She has no breasts, looks like sh'e made of HARD plastic, and doubtless has no vagina.

    I'm going to pay $15,000 for that? Come on, dude, I want one like Data's daughter! What are you guys smoking? Speaking of smoking, I can get a real twenty five year old human crack whore for twenty bucks.

    --
    mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
  9. Too Short by ta+ma+de · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If it can't reach the beer in the fridge, then who really cares.

  10. Description by Subm · · Score: 5, Funny

    FTA: "Initially, delivered with basic behaviors, the robot will be, at its market introduction, the ideal introduction to robots. Eventually, with many improved behaviors, it will become an autonomous family companion. Finally, with more sophisticated functions, it will adopt a new role, assisting with daily tasks (monitoring, etc.)"

    Will, it, have, full, comma, functionality?

  11. Boston Dynamics Big Dog is the best by MrSteveSD · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

    Why can't someone make a bipedal robot as impressive as bigdog?

    1. Re:Boston Dynamics Big Dog is the best by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Funny

      Although big dog is great (and I was amazed at its abilities), I pissed myself laughing at this one instead: Another big dog robot

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  12. Emotions? by devotedlhasa · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed...

  13. Videos from RoboCup by Falkkin · · Score: 4, Informative

    The RoboCup 2008 world competition just finished in Suzhou, China -- new this year was a league where all the teams must use the Nao robots. The top two teams were from the University of Newcastle (Australia) and a combined Carnegie Mellon/Georgia Tech team. The final game was scoreless and decided by penalty kicks. Full results are here:

    http://www.tzi.de/4legged/bin/view/Website/NaoResults2008

    I wasn't at the competition but it's clear due to the scores that the league is still in its infancy, with scores being few and far between. As with any humanoid robot, falling over is a huge problem. I'm sure there will be some videos of the competition online once all the teams get home and have time to edit and upload them.

    Here's a video of the robot walking, from the 2008 RoboCup US Open (where there was no competition but a couple small demos for the public.)

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=N7USdkA0My8