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robots
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Robots
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koreannovation
Watch as the RingBo Robot Atrophies the Muscles of Our Future Generations
We showed you the little lazy-kid-moving RingBo yesterday, and now we have a ludicrous video of it in action. Watch! As an adorable Korean toddler spins aimlessly in circles in a variety of outfits. Listen! To some of the most ridiculous music to be produced since the 1980s. Cringe! At the thought of parents dropping $140 to allow their 3-year-olds to give up on walking at such a young age. You're looking at the future, friends. The lazy, lazy future. [Koreannovation]
toys
Ringbo Robot, Because a Loved Child Should Never Hoof It
Why should we have to wait until we're senior citizens to enjoy the luxury of scooting the grocery store? The Ringbo Robot brings the fruits of limited mobility to our most precious, the children. Aimed at kids from 2-3 years old, the Ringobo can cruise for about an hour after charging overnight. That should be just long enough to keep them occupied while the poorer children in the neighborhood play football or, worse still, ride a bike. [Koreannovation via BBGadgets]
robots
Hitachi EMIEW 2 Vid Shows Segway-Style Legs, Wheely Kneecaps, Creepy Kid Voice
Impress Robot Watch just published footage of Hitachi's anime-styled EMIEW 2, the little guy who took a spill during his debut last November. The new video shows that his feet, tipped with wheels, give him a Segway-like way of staying upright, with little micromovements. If the terrain gets too rough, there's always the second set of wheels on his kneecaps, which you see him using at the beginning. Like many Japanese constructs, this one has a creepy child's voice, with which it apparently says some unexpected things like "What color is love?" (Maybe that's an error in translation, but still...) Watching the Segway-style maneuvering, I am left wondering how two of these would do in a rock-em-sock-em scenario. [Impress]
wall-e
CNNMoney/Fortune has a story out saying that Eve, the female character to stand opposite Wall-E in the movie of the same name, was designed in part by Apple lead designer Jonathan Ive. The robot design is kinda cool, in that it reminds me of the most recent incarnation of Marvin the Paranoid Android, but the real story to be told is of Ive's day spent with the Pixar guys working on Eve.
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Wall-E Movie is Jonathan Ive's Latest Design Job
CNNMoney/Fortune has a story out saying that Eve, the female character to stand opposite Wall-E in the movie of the same name, was designed in part by Apple lead designer Jonathan Ive. The robot design is kinda cool, in that it reminds me of the most recent incarnation of Marvin the Paranoid Android, but the real story to be told is of Ive's day spent with the Pixar guys working on Eve.
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robots
Last time I was in a store, I was like, "Why is there no creepy animatronic sea captain here to tell me today's specials?" Apparently that's what the founders of Characters Unlimited thought too, because they've come up with a vast array of Hall of Presidents-style robotic people—and a few animals, too, like the ever-popular dog in overalls, or the smoking buffalo—aimed specifically at retailers who want to jazz up their stores, maybe after striking out with Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men. The things can move and talk, their lips synched to either live or pre-recorded messages. (Was that a tape recorder I saw?) The company president told Aving they'll do custom jobs, can even clone you if you want, but from the look of their lineup, it helps if you're old and/or disfigured. There's a video after the jump if you're not already properly skeeved out. [Aving USA]
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Life-Size Robotic Ventriloquist Dummies: The Next Retail Craze?
Last time I was in a store, I was like, "Why is there no creepy animatronic sea captain here to tell me today's specials?" Apparently that's what the founders of Characters Unlimited thought too, because they've come up with a vast array of Hall of Presidents-style robotic people—and a few animals, too, like the ever-popular dog in overalls, or the smoking buffalo—aimed specifically at retailers who want to jazz up their stores, maybe after striking out with Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men. The things can move and talk, their lips synched to either live or pre-recorded messages. (Was that a tape recorder I saw?) The company president told Aving they'll do custom jobs, can even clone you if you want, but from the look of their lineup, it helps if you're old and/or disfigured. There's a video after the jump if you're not already properly skeeved out. [Aving USA]
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robot wars
At Maker Faire 2008, a group of carnage-loving individuals pitted the 2007 Holiday Toy Darling Pleo against the heavy duty battle bot, Vicious Verdict, in a no holds barred competition. Needless to say, the sniff-n-grunt capability of the Pleo was no match for the blade-equipped bot, which turned Pleo into fillet meat. But the funniest part of the video (below) might be the background shrieks of little kids, who were forced to watch their Christmas present get shredded. Mean, perhaps, but undeniably funny. [DViCE via Tech Digest via Bot Junkie]
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Pleo Gets Thrashed at the Hands of a Battlebot
At Maker Faire 2008, a group of carnage-loving individuals pitted the 2007 Holiday Toy Darling Pleo against the heavy duty battle bot, Vicious Verdict, in a no holds barred competition. Needless to say, the sniff-n-grunt capability of the Pleo was no match for the blade-equipped bot, which turned Pleo into fillet meat. But the funniest part of the video (below) might be the background shrieks of little kids, who were forced to watch their Christmas present get shredded. Mean, perhaps, but undeniably funny. [DViCE via Tech Digest via Bot Junkie]
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gadgets
RC Beer Cooler Robot Now Available For Pre-Order
It was a big hit at CES, and now you can get in on all of the drunken laziness. The device will be available from Solutions on May 23rd for $69.95 and from Firebox on the 28th for $78.30. [Solutions and Firebox via Toyology]
robots
WowWee Chatterbot Looks Like Robot Hell-Hound, Does Friendly Banter
Move over iBuddy and Availbot, the masters of robo-companionship toys have arrived on scene. This is a WowWee Chatterbot, a USB-powered desktop companion that reacts with some motion and a bit of chattering to "trigger" words typed into emails, IM, calendar entries and the like. It's not as smart as Robosapien, of course: basically it just spouts out jokes and bits of commentary. Because we all like hellish dogs with eerie eyes responding to our typing, don't we? The video reveals the toy in action. More »
led plane
LED Plane Is More Like An R/C Comet
Flying an R/C plane in the darkness of night can be a difficult proposition. That is, until you add 150 LED lights to the hollows of the plane's fuselage and wings. The creator tells us the brightest model consumes 75W of lighting electricity and is "painfully bright at night." Irreversible cornea damage has never been so much fun! To see a video of the plane in-flight, hit the jump.More »
science
Robot Mouth, Because Chewing Is for Luddites
In the face of a global food crisis, it's good to know that we have newly-developed robotic mouths around. Composed of teeth-like protrusions, variable speed motors, artificial saliva and a helium flow to quarantine-released compounds, this artificial mouth can masticate with the best of 'em. More »
star wars
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DIY R2-D2 Is Even Better than the Real Thing
Chris James' R2-D2 won four Make Magazine editors' choice ribbons at Maker Faire and it's easy to see why: not only does it have every detail from the original—except having a little person inside—but this one is even more charming, capable of singing the Star Wars theme, and Indiana Jones sound bites. It only needs to have a built-in projector to be absolutely perfect. We asked Chris about the obvious next step: installing sensory inputs and artificial intelligence to make it truly autonomous. His take—and another video of R2 dancing with kids at Maker Faire—after the jump.More »
question of the day
We have seen creepy robotic cats, dogs and even parrots. It may seem ridiculous to think that these types of toys will ever make the jump from novelty to full-fledged replacements for our beloved pets, but lets face it—you're lazy. Think about a future without walking dogs, scooping poop or the emotional pain that comes with owning a cat that doesn't care whether you live or die. One day it may truly become possible to own the perfect robotic pet. So, the question is do you think these robo-pets will ever replace your fuzzy best friends?
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Question of the Day: Will Robotic Pets Ever Replace The Real Thing?
We have seen creepy robotic cats, dogs and even parrots. It may seem ridiculous to think that these types of toys will ever make the jump from novelty to full-fledged replacements for our beloved pets, but lets face it—you're lazy. Think about a future without walking dogs, scooping poop or the emotional pain that comes with owning a cat that doesn't care whether you live or die. One day it may truly become possible to own the perfect robotic pet. So, the question is do you think these robo-pets will ever replace your fuzzy best friends?
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movies
Marvel Already Dates Iron Man 2
It looks like Marvel wanted to test the waters before stating the obvious, but Iron Man 2 will be hitting theaters April 30, 2010. HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY WAIT TWO YEARS, you ask? Simple. Just remember what happened to The Matrix.
For those not just interested in the tech-based superheroes, Marvel also announced dates for Thor, The Avengers and a Captain America standalone. Hit the jump for the full press release.
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