Robot Living

iSobot is currently on sale for $99 at Hammacher Schlemmer.

The 6.5 inch tall robot has 17 servos and a gyroscope. It responds to 10 voice commands and comes with over 200 pre-programmed actions such as push ups and somersaults.

When iSobot came out in the US last year it had a price tag of about $300.

Japanese  manufacturing company Murata has unveiled Murata Girl or “Murataseiko-chan”.  She is a robot that rides on a unicycle without any assistance.

The robot was built as a playmate for the previous robot, the bicycle riding robot Murata boy.

Both robots use gyroscopes and other sensors to stay balanced while riding.

See our previous post about Murata boy, the bicycle riding robot.  Also see the video of Murata boy here.

Update: See the Murata Girl video here.

Link via (Daily Mail)

Tags: Japanese

Flute Robot

This musical robot was created by Atsuo Takanishi of Waseda University in Tokyo.

By translating sounds into mathematical formulas and using bellows for lungs, Takanishi has created an amazing robot and is now working on a saxophone player.

Check out the video here.

I wonder if this flute playing robot will soon be conducted by Asimo.

Link via (IEEE Spectrum)

Tags: japan

This amazing humanoid robot was unveiled this week in Abu Dhabi from Pal Technology Robotics. Reem-B is the newest model in the Reem line.

Reem-B is 1.47 meters tall and has a battery life of 120 minutes. Reem-B can walk 1.5 km an hour, sit down, grasp objects, recognize faces and understand voice commands. Wow, that’s a lot of things for one robot to do.

Check out the spiffy promo video here, and if you are really digging this robot like we are, download the desktop wallpaper here.

I wonder if Reem-B will join the touring circuit like Asimo and start conducting orchestras and serving coffee and chocolate?

Link via (China Daily)

The folks over at the the Mirror had a visit with our buddy Asimo.

What a busy guy he is! He just finished conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has now flown to England. What a life. Beth Neil at the Mirror likes being served coffee and chocolates by Asimo and states,

Having a man about the house who does what I say, doesn’t belch or get drunk would be a vast improvement on the current situation.

Watch out guys, someday we may be replaced by an Asimo clone. But while Asimo was good at climbing stairs and showing Beth a few dance moves, Asimo was no good at small talk and did not know any good clubs so there is hope yet.

Link

Tags: Japanese