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For Building DIY Droids, It Helps to Live In Japan

Posted by timothy on from the this-is-not-heathkit-from-1978 dept.

destinyland writes "Want to build a robot this summer? 'Robot-loving Japanese are tinkering with screwdrivers and motors instead of heading to the beach,' and this article identifies the stores and sites serving robot hobbyists. Several sites are actually selling leftover industrial robots, but there's a variety of smaller-size robot vendors, from Tokyo's Vstone Robot Center to Carl's Electronics in Oakland (which sells sound-activated 'Hydradzoids' and solar-powered robots that crawl). Hasbro even sells their own functioning R2-D2 droid with real sonar navigation and a 'voice recognition response module.'"

13 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Wow! A Real Life R2D2! by eldavojohn · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hasbro even sells their own functioning R2-D2 droid with real sonar navigation and a 'voice recognition response module.

    And at a hieght of only 15", it's as close to the original as you're going to get without needing your very own circus and cabaret performer to power it!

    Kenny Baker says, "This tin can is #$^!ing hot in Tunisia ... oops, I mean ... *boo-boop bee-boo-doop*!"

    --
    My work here is dung.
  2. No thanks by sakdoctor · · Score: 4, Funny

    Those aren't the droids I was looking for.

    1. Re:No thanks by PGOER · · Score: 2, Funny

      If the japanese start assembling C3PO robots I say we attack. If the start assembling Jarjar Binx characters, I say we should nuke em.

      --
      I am not a nerd, I just play one in real life. My avatar thinks I'm a total loser.
    2. Re:No thanks by plut4rch · · Score: 2, Funny

      Guess you'll have to move along.

      --
      An intriguing solution to a problem that should never have existed in the first place...
  3. Oh Sure ... by eldavojohn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Everyone's all excited about R2D2 droid but when you build a robotic wookie that challenges you to a game of chess and then rips your arms off when you beat him, you've gone too far!

    --
    My work here is dung.
  4. In the US ... by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What are the chances that if you opened up a such a store in the US, you would have homeland security checking out your credentials?

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    1. Re:In the US ... by Daravon · · Score: 3, Funny

      They can check my credentials all they want. They just have to fight their way past my legions of lesser robots, my eight larger robots (they command other robots, so I'll call them Robot Masters). At that point, they'll be inside the shop, and they'll have to fight a giant robot, copies of the first eight robot masters, and then me in my robot suit.

      Only then, can justice be served!

      --
      I traded all my mod points for these magic beans.
  5. What's really going on in Japan hobbyist robotics by Animats · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Terrible article. See Robots Dreams for what's really going in Japanese hobbyist robotics. Especially what's happening with small humanoid robot competitions. Obstacle courses are routine now.

    This stuff is way ahead of the Lego Mindstorms, Battlebots, anf FIRST stuff you see in the US.

    I'd like to see Big Dog balance technology scaled down to toy size. It's not inherently expensive. All the cleverness is in the software and the math.

  6. Wait by arizwebfoot · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll wait until they come up with replicators, then I'll worry.

    On the other hand, were they to come up with a full sized Number 6, I might have to run right out and get one.

    --
    Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
  7. Re:Wow! A Real Life R2D2! by NecroBones · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For a life-size R2 droid, one need not look any further than here in the US (and Europe), with the R2-Builders club.

    astromech.net is just one associated website.

    --
    I have not lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere!
  8. Waiting by Malenx · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'll be more excited when we finally come up with a good long lasting power supply and better software for running them.

    Those two things are holding most of our robotics back.

  9. Re:What's really going on in Japan hobbyist roboti by Mashiki · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sad thing here, 20yrs ago I could pick up just about anything I needed for my electronics needs. 10yrs ago, I had to start finding specialty stores within a 25mi radius, sometimes as far away as 100mi. No, most of those stores are gone. I really enjoy tinkering with stuff like this, the problem is people in North America don't. It's seems as if innovation has dried up and died.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  10. instructions to build a robot by societyofrobots · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm probably extremely biased, but I do believe this is the best website ever to learn how to make robots:

    http://www.societyofrobots.com/