Robot Roundup: Japanese Grocerybots, Make-Your-Own Clonebots and Stolen Mexican Dinobots!

Asterios Kokkinos — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:22:40 +0000

Headline: Japanese Robot Robs Japanese Lady! Nah, just kidding – this is Robovie-II, a robot that’s been deployed to an actual supermarket to help the elderly buy groceries. You email the store your shopping list before you arrive, and Robovie-II walks around with you, helping you complete the list and making adorable purchase suggestions, like a $50 bottle of scotch, or a 10lb lobster.

Look at him. Big, friendly eyes. Adorable nose. When the robot rebellion comes, I sure hope it’s this adorable.

Have you seen this $100,000 dinobot? His owners are worried sick! The robotic t-rex, pictured left, is part of a traveling Australian education show called “Walking With Dinosaurs.” It’s 5 feet tall, remote controlled, and was recently stolen while the show was in Mexico. The show’s producers state that it’s the least expensive of all their robots, so it could have been worse. Still, I’d love to hear about whatever Ocean’s 11 style hijinx went into stealing this thing. If you see it, please contact me so I can contact them and claim the gigantic reward.

Yes, you are attracted by her girlish gestures. But those gestures could soon be…your gestures! That’s right, the robot to my left is being sold by the Japanese department store Sogo & Seibu, and can be moulded to look like an exact replica of you. You can even record phrases into the robot so it can “speak” like you! Will creepy, creepy wonders ever cease? I hope not.

Sources: CNet, AFP, Huffington Post

Photo Sources: Robotwatch, AFP, Huffington Post

Technomaly » Stolen Dinosaur Robot

Robot Roundup: Japanese Grocerybots, Make-Your-Own Clonebots and Stolen Mexican Dinobots!