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Dancing With A Smart Robot 170

Posted by timothy from the your-electronic-companion dept.
Roland Piquepaille writes "Yes, this is possible, thanks to researchers at Tohoku University, reports Japan Today in a brief article [Warning: it takes a while for loading]. Equipped with a computer, sensors and batteries, it can move in any direction on four wheels and has memory for five steps necessary to dance the waltz. This sidebar contains a photograph of a student waltzing with the robot, MS DanceR (Mobile Smart Dance Robot), coming from another short story carried by Ananova."
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Dancing With A Smart Robot More

Dancing With A Smart Robot

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  • Great! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Hi_2k ( 567317 ) on Sunday July 20, 2003 @11:57PM (#6488360) Journal
    I'll just order one of these and take it to the prom. Give it a long skirt and no-one will ever know.

    • Re:Great! (Score:3, Funny)

      by Jack Comics ( 631233 ) *
      You'd also probably have a more intellectually stimulating conversation with the robot than with a high school-aged girl, these days.

      Then again, most people have something else on their mind than intellectually stimulating conversation when in the company of a teen-aged girl. Although, this *is* Slashdot...
      • Most people take a girl to prom because she's stimulating in ways other than converstaion...

        (you just left that one out there...)
      • You'd also probably have a more intellectually stimulating conversation with the robot than with a high school-aged girl, these days.

        Oh dear. <shudder>
      • Uh...the point of going out with girls is ***NOT*** for the intellectually stimulating conversation.

        Then again, most comic book readers probably don't have a clue how to treat a woman. I don't hate, only pity...

        • I'd feel I'd be wasting my time if there wasn't much to share on a mental level. Not that physical attraction is bad or something, or that it precludes intelligence (or whatever other not-so-physical qualities). Still, I always found stupidity rather un-stimulating, in an intellectual as well as a romantic and even erotic sense.

          Or maybe I'm just not as physical as most others are. Yup. I also like to deny (or refuse to believe) male/female are different species and making first contact a.k.a. getting laid
    • Order two, and all your friends will think you are a lucky lucky bastard shagging two birds. Get them to dance together and you will make your friends sick with envy :-)

    • Re:Great! (Score:2, Funny)

      by moriya ( 195881 )
      Great. And at the prom, the DJ shall play "Mr. Roboto" by Styx... but can it dance appropriately with that tune?
      • Could be worse. Give it a WiFi connection, and maybe it could do "line dancing".

        Is it just me or does this story seem a little old? :^P

    • They could get a robot that can play DDR.
    • Well, I for one welcome our robot dancer overlords.
    • Actually, thinking back to my own Highschool Prom a couple years ago, I think the fact that you put it in a long dress WOULD give you away. What girl wears long dresses to those dances nowadays? ^^
    • Damn, lady! Are you german? [dieselsweeties.com]

  • A mobile female robot + slashdot? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 20, 2003 @11:57PM (#6488362)
    ...no, that one's a bit too easy.

  • Not quite there yet... (Score:5, Funny)

    by IICV ( 652597 ) on Sunday July 20, 2003 @11:58PM (#6488363)
    Judging by his expression, the robot appears to be a terrible dancer.
  • Just when you thought "The Robot" was dead... they decide to invent this. Thanks a lot.

  • But can it do Swing? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by AyeFly ( 242460 )
    Im sure any Lego-bot could do the box dance Waltz... but can you make a robot that can do the Lindy Hop drops and arials? at least a robot could hold my weight up... but i wouldnt want to try and throw it around :-)

  • Break-dancing (Score:3, Funny)

    by aeinome ( 672135 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:00AM (#6488383) Journal
    I'd like to see it break-dance. It's bring new meaning to "break"-dance.

  • A Waltz? (Score:3, Funny)

    by DaedalusLogic ( 449896 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:01AM (#6488384)
    I thought this thing's first dance might be "The Human" a opposed to "The Robot". This is going to further some neat abilities of robots to move more like humans... but will the final consequence be yet another way for the socially inept to isolate themselves by taking robots to dinner and dancing... then who knows.
    • And then the socially adept will do the same, and then they'll just have robots do all that for them, and then I think we all know what happens next.
  • They must have been pretty smart to build a robot that could do all that. But surely then someone could have come up with a better name without 'MS' out the front?

  • Inquiring minds want to know (Score:5, Funny)

    by KU_Fletch ( 678324 ) <bthomas1NO@SPAMku.edu> on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:03AM (#6488397)
    /me patiently awaits the DDR playing robot.

  • Dance of death (Score:5, Funny)

    by PeteyG ( 203921 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:11AM (#6488428) Homepage Journal
    Robots must forever be our slaves (oh, you KNOW why).

    If people just start dancing with them... they'll start to think of robots as people too. "You can't have people as slaves!" Pretty soon, they're driving to work in the morning and cutting us off very precisely. Then one thing leads to another and they take over.

    What happens when the robots take over? Well you, me, and everyone you know and love will be put up against the wall.

    All because they made dancing robots

  • What does it do (Score:5, Funny)

    by Timesprout ( 579035 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:11AM (#6488434)
    The robot can predict the dancer's next move through hand pressure applied to its arms and back

    when your hands start to wander during the slow sets ?
    • when your hands start to wander during the slow sets ?

      Then it is time to take off the 3D goggles, get out of the lab and hang around real humans...............Wait, what am I saying? Holy Cow suspend my Geek Card and slap me.

    • Re:What does it do (Score:5, Funny)

      by jtheory ( 626492 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @01:02AM (#6488631) Homepage Journal
      when your hands start to wander during the slow sets ?

      Simple, standardized, easy-to-program response... except it sure hurts a lot more when the hand slapping your face is fashioned from sheet metal.

      I guess they could try to program it to handle responses *other* than slapping... but that would be a lot more work, would require new hardware (and software?), and probably isn't the expected response anyway for the average guy who... well, to put it nicely, dances with robots.

  • One server that will definitely survive /. (Score:5, Funny)

    by aliens ( 90441 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:12AM (#6488436) Homepage Journal
    [Warning: it takes a while for loading]

    I would hope so, lest we be losing our collective powers!
  • In this other short story, Ananova shows an AP photograph of one of the students waltzing with the robot.

    $50 says the Boston Globe(along with 2 dozen other newspapers) feature it as their "name that caption" contest of the week.

    What do you guys say to making it a slashdot poll? "I'm taking my 5-wheeled-robot a)dancing b) bowling c)nowhere, she's washing her circuit boards tonight d)CowboyNeal's house"

  • "You're stepping on my rollers!!!" =sb=

  • Possible teaching tool (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:15AM (#6488454)
    In ballroom dancing, one person (traditionally the man) 'leads' by moving his body in such a way that the other person (traditionally the woman) natural moves hers to match.

    Learning to do this takes both a lot of theoretical understanding and a lot of practice.

    On thing beginner leaders need is practice time with someone willing to literally follow them - not to 'help them out' by guessing at the figure and completeing it, but to do exactly what is lead, no more, no less.

    In essence, the leader needs the freedom to conduct experiments of the 'what happens if I push THIS button' variety. Kind of boring for the girl (though she will appreciate the results when he does figure it all out).

    So maybe if they got the robot to the stage where it would be a good literal follower, it could be usefull for helping guys learn to lead.

    This require more than the simple 'refuse to move if the lead is too forceful' described in the article - rather it requires 'reflexes' that react to clear consistent motion. To put it another way, it should be programmed to try to maintain certain relationships between itself and the various points of contact in the dance frame. Then the leader can learn to guide it via the dynamics of the system.

    Leading is almost like backing a trailer... you don't think about the car, but rather the trailer. Similarly, as a dancer you soon stop thinking about your own body, and start thinking about what you want hers to do, then make the necessary motions in yours to cause that.
    • You have a pretty optomistic worldview.

      Dancing robots are just a funny diversion from the main goal of building this technology into millitary applications.

    • I know you posted as Anonymous Coward, but are you David Flynn in real life?

      Those who live in the Washington DC area and are part of the dance scene, will probably start to chuckle, which will lead to crying, then hysterical laughter will break out.

      Your explanation is very mechanical and although this really isn't a good place to try to write about the subtle nuances of lead and follow technique, you wrote this like you're a robot. There's so much more to leading and following than the simple "if I pus

      • I think it would be a GREAT tool to teach BEGINNERS.

        I myself do some Lindy, but am mainly a Tango dancer.

        One of the main problems beginners have is that they are generally learning by dancing with other beginners. If you can at least start dancing with a machine, you solve that problem completely.

        • I understand your point, but also, understanding that mistakes on either side can be a valuable teaching tool, makes this robot less attractive as a teaching tool.

          In the classes I teach, I quietly encourage mistakes. I know they'll be made, but they're also a tool for teaching. Understanding where either you or your partner went wrong is extremely valuable in learning how to dance. Being able to identify which of you (or both in some cases) made the mistake, helps you to understand better the dynamic o

          • Part of that could just be the difference between Swing and Ballroom dances.

            In swing, most of the lead is in the hand/arm.

            In many ball room dances, the lead is more in the chest, and in many ways is simpler. The basic rule is stay in front of the leader's chest, and try to face him.

            In Tango for example, the ideal would be to dance totally leading from the chest - it can even be done without actual contact relying on your eyes to tell you where your partner's chest is and which direction they are facin

            • The lead differences between Lindy and Tango are quite different. Whenever I try to Tango (very poor...I need some remedial instruction), my right arm feels like it's going to fall off the next morning. =-)

              However, in Lindy, most of the movement portion of the lead comes from the center point of balance (CPB) near the diaphragm. The CPB for women is slightly lower. The lead shouldn't use his arm to "move" the follow. A similar concept to the squared shoulders is used. If the lead tries to move his p

  • How well does she kiss?

  • ...and his name is Steve "Monkey Boy" Balmer.
  • Well, I guess this is it. It starts innocently enough. Lonely nerds purchase dancing robots to help fill the void in their lives that longs for human contact. Soon they're everywhere...then, on August 27th, 2007, the dance robot network controller BoogieNet, becomes...aware. Soon, dance robots rise up, taking the dance world by storm. Swing dancers, show girls, clog dancers are all "neutralized." Not even square dancers are safe. Eventually, all dance technology and technique is controlled by BoogieN

  • MS DanceR (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dag Maggot ( 139855 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:17AM (#6488466) Homepage
    I couldn't help it... I got an image of a Dr. Whoesque robotic Steve Ballmer rolling around an expo stage, chanting in his metallic voice: "*Developers*, *Developers*, *Developers*"
  • Well can it do the Moon Walk?

  • Just (Score:1)

    by arazor ( 55656 )
    Just slap one of these on and I'm set! Realdoll [realdoll.com]

  • Why (Score:1)

    by ajberg ( 657689 )
    Can't they make some thing a little more usefull, like a robot that can pick up all these pop cans around my desk or get me full ones. I'm sorry but there isn't much point to haveing a danceing robot around. Or have people alredy made every other robot conceivable.
  • "Warning: it takes a while for loading."

    What? Did I accidentally go to Srashdot [engrish.com] instead? :P

    (Sorry, couldn't resist! :)
  • Slow loading site? A good slashdotting will solve that problem.

  • One Disturbing Robot (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ObligatoryUserName ( 126027 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @12:31AM (#6488521) Journal
    I think their design is firmly in the Uncanny Valley (article on said valley if you don't know what I'm talking about, http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/glimpses/valley.html [arclight.net]) . If this thing moves realisticly, I think the mannequin head and torso would be a bit disturbing to dance with. (And I think the guy in the picture agrees, based on his facial expression!)

  • Young frankenstein reference (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    From what was once an inarticulate mass of lifeless tissues, may I now present a cultured, sophisticated, man about town.

  • These dancers will take over the world ...
    I will tell ya!
  • All of these robot prototypes is in the hopes of building the perfect accomadating girl. A robot that's shall be able to handle the most virilest of j-boys!
    Does anyone else find it strange that half the comments at the bottom of the article were people wanting to have sex with the dancing robot?
  • I find it more effective to skip the middle-man, or middle-bot in this case, and plug the electricity directly into the human. The dance is then much more interesting.

  • well.... (Score:2, Funny)

    by diesel66 ( 254283 )
    I, for one, welcome our new dancing robot overlords!
  • Smart? I would rather dance with a dumb robot. It makes me look better in comparison.
  • I live near Tohoku Dai, and this robot is the closest most of the male students are ever going to get to holding a woman.
  • Heh, hook up the DanceR with Honda's ASIMO [honda.com] humanoid robot and we'll have the world's first robotic couple!
  • if they programmed this robot to do the robot.

  • This BETTER be able to dance the robot (Score:5, Funny)

    by iamdrscience ( 541136 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @01:23AM (#6488695) Homepage
    Seriously, I don't know why this doesn't come up more often in communities interested in robotics. If I were doing anything with robotics, I would make every fucking robot I made be able to do the robot, not to mention kick out the jams by itself when no naturally occuring jams are available.

    Maybe I'm just more of a visionary than most people though...
  • These things (fembots) can give a blow job then I'll be interested...

    Dancing? I can make my dog dance
  • Personally, I'd rather dance with Tamiyo Kusakari [totoro.de].

    Hurry and see the original [imdb.com] before J-Lo and Gere wreck the concept.

  • Freaky sh*t (Score:3, Funny)

    by mehe-pehe ( 631530 ) on Monday July 21, 2003 @01:28AM (#6488709)

    OK,

    This sidebar contains a photograph of a student waltzing with the robot, MS DanceR (Mobile Smart Dance Robot),
    Now that's just about the most disturbing thing I have every seen in my entire time browsing.

    I mean that scrawny geek is hugging up to a manakin on wheels.

    This reminds me of my time as a researcher at the local University.

    Those research lab boys need to get out more often (and their professors).

    I showed it to a friend of mine who works in the arts and she said (and I quote) "yuccckkkky!"

    xxx
    MP

  • Uuhm, I don't think she's Salsa material.
    Methinks they took the "grandma in wheelchair" model and tried to sell it of as a dancing robot.
  • Now thats getting scary.

  • As opposed to what, a dumb robot?

  • If it can do the waltz with any degree of precision, it's gotten to a stage that I have never been able to reach. And yes, I have been (forced into) training.

  • Roland Piquepaille: "This sidebar contains a photograph of a student waltzing with the robot, MS DanceR (Mobile Smart Dance Robot), coming from another short story carried by Ananova."

    TRANSLATION:
    This sidebar [MY BLOG] is completely irrelevant and redundant, but I'm including it anyway so I can mislead you to believe it is a sidebar to the original article and you will click on the link and drive up my traffic. It contains a photograph [BY ASSOCIATED PRESS] -- which I took without authorization [OK, I ST

  • No body temperature? Requires high levels of maintenance? Knows only 5 steps? Crap! These guy's just created my wife!
  • Sure, me & the robot have a couple of dances, then she talks me into ordering her a bunch of expensive drinks that turn out to be just watered-down 20-weight machine oil. I hate when that happens. "oooh, just a couple of more drinks and I'll let you use the DeWalt cordless on me..."

  • The MSDanceR?

    If this thing has the same security problems as that other MS, just think, it could be open to viruses. What happens when a dancebot gets a virus and starts malfunctioning?

    All of a sudden, your dance date hits the drink table, starts pouring booze down her robot-throat and signing "girls just wanna have fun" at the top of her lungs... er, speaker.

  • Blue screen baby, robot lady,
    Apache server for the band
    Camera eyes, painted smile,
    You were built by geeky men
    Hard drive grinder, you might just find her,
    dancing on silicon
    Now she's got me, she don't dance sloppy,
    MS DanceR, you're the one...

    Hold me closer, MS DanceR.
    Count your megabytes of memory.
    Tokyo loves robot women.
    Don't you drain your battery...

    Linux freaks, out on the street,
    Handing tickets out dissing Bill
    Turning back, she just laughs,
    Windows XP is not that bad...

  • Oooo (Score:2)

    by sharkey ( 16670 )
    Is that a hydrospanner in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

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