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Toys

Mitsubishi Robot - Watchdog, Nurse, Annoying Friend 183

Posted by michael from the mother's-little-helper dept.
jomaree writes "The SMH Online reports that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have developed a robot (to run on Linux) with voice and face recognition capabilities. The robot would be able to connect to the Internet, contact you by e-mail or a mobile phone and, say, send you a message if it 'hears' a strange noise inside your home. It can also remember the side effects of medication. Reportedly, Mitsubishi claim that the robot 'will become a future house-sitter, caretaker, nurse and friend for the family'. Unfortunately the robot can also be programmed to ask 'You're home late. What have you been up to?' Don't we already have people for that?" The Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun has a story with pictures.
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Mitsubishi Robot - Watchdog, Nurse, Annoying Friend

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  • This isn't the robot I dreamed about as a kid. By 2000 we should have had cool android/robots, flying cars and computers like the HAL 9000.

    Also, Manhatten Island was suppose to be turned into a prison and the moon was suppose to be ripped from orbit by 1999.
    • Don't forget about the damned Zentraedi. I'm still miffed about that.
    • By 2000 we should have had cool android/robots, flying cars and computers like the HAL 9000.
      Actually, we were supposed to have had HAL 9000 in 1992 (according to the film) or 1997 (according to the book).

      I was actually getting my graduate degree in Urbana, Illinois, in 1992. It was kind of fun to be there at the time. :-)

  • I can see it now.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by bedessen ( 411686 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:24AM (#5229822) Journal

    you by e-mail or a mobile phone and, say, send you a message if it 'hears' a strange noise inside your home. It can also remember the side effects of medication.

    I can see it now:

    From: mitsubot@example.com
    To: brian-at-work@example.com

    Dear Brian,

    The cat just knocked over a flower pot which made a loud sound. I'm scared. Please come home soon. By the way, remember to be on the lookout for fecal urgency, loose stools, and increased heart rate now that you're taking Propecia.

    Love,
    Your Robot
    • the robot can't tell what medications are what? Can it be discrete when you bring home the ladies?

      Senior Citizen to Date from other Nursing Home: "Oh no, baby, you're the only one for me" *Whisper to robot* "Robie! bring me my Viagra!"

      Robie in loud hard-of-hearing voice: "Same Viagra dose as the last six times, master?"

      Senior Citizen: "Um..."

    • Sheesh no wonder my heart's screaming at 200 bpm! Tell me, kind sir, what do you know about propecia and the possible reversal of ones sexuality? Neat robot by the way, Mitsubish has come a long way from that dreaded Zeke!

  • I don't know if this is such a good idea (Score:5, Insightful)

    by aerojad ( 594561 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:25AM (#5229828) Homepage Journal
    Giving robots the ability to have face as well as voice recognition, inevitably I can see some sort of security system being done with robots such as these (only recognized people get through, others get... dealt with), and then if the robot can be put on the internet than the robot could be hacked. Forget identity theft, how would you like it if you came home one day and your robot wouldn't let you in the door because you "no longer lived there" (in other words, it doesn't recognize you), or worse yet lets someone else in because it is now programmed to accept that person as someone who lives at the house.

    To make a long story short, IMHO, I don't believe robot "house-sitters" are a good thing. I for one would never give up control of the security or well-being of my house to a walking, talking computer program.

    I just don't see the pros outweighing the cons here.

    • Read the Headline (Score:5, Informative)

      by Yokaze ( 70883 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:43AM (#5229897)
      The headline says it all: Robot for the elderly to become real-life Astro Boy

      No flamethrower or electroshocker included.
      The security, which should be gained by this, is not one against burglers.

      It is against dying from mismedication, strokes, and the like. It checks the person in question regularly for life-signs, reminds him/her of the medication and notifies an ambulance if necessary. And additionally gives the feeling of company.

      The aversion seems to be a cultural thing: In Japan, inanimate objects are more likely considered to have a soul. The first image of a robot is Astro Boy.
      In the Western World, the first image is Maria (Metropolis) (or maybe the Golem).
      • And as we all know, senior citizens ARE the population segment which is most likely to be reassured by the presence of a robot!
      • In the Western World, the first image [of a robot] is Maria (Metropolis) (or maybe the Golem).

        Another possibility is Frankenstien's monster. While organic, he's still a soulless creature, made in our image.
        • The Golem predates Frankenstein's monster, though both of these are good candidates for the modern meme's origin. I would say that the idea of artificial servants must have been around much longer than that, but then it occurred to me that prior to the Industrial Age, the idea of "unnatural" entities would have been pretty alien. The Golem may have been an exception due to Kabbalism's "hax0ring reality" approach... but what about the Alchemists?

          Anyway, what's the earliest image [of a robot] in the Eastern World.

    • Re:I don't know if this is such a good idea (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "I for one would never give up control of the security or well-being of my house to a walking, talking computer program."

      Do you have fire detectors? They aren't near as talented as the bot. You trust them with not only your house, but your life. Of course, detectors also don't broil cushions in the oven! Point is, we already trust machines in a lot of aspects. In a couple of years, I'll have a bot and I'll name her Rosey!
      http://www.tvacres.com/robots_rosey.htm
      • I'm pretty comfortable with specific sensor modules designed exclusively to detect and report a single condition [or set of conditions]. Easy to design, easy to test, easy to troubleshoot, and no ambiguity about what the event is or how to handle it.

        Multipurpose machines, on the other hand--especially machines that are managed by a single "master control program" (WinCE, for example)--are exponentially more complex, and much harder to design for expertise and reliability in every single one of their discrete tasks. And if these tasks share resources with other tasks, proper stress-testing and QA becomes much more difficult, and the possibility of cascading unrelated system failures becomes much more likely.

        So, yeah, I'd trust smoke detectors with my life, vis-a-vis fire warnings, but--given the current state of the art--probably not a security robot with integrated fire detection and response functionality.
    • I agree with aerojad completely!! Man invented machines for his convenience...Not to be overpowered by them. And on top of it, "Invasion of Privacy" and can you imagine...by a machine, huh!!
    • The robots are here to PROTECT US! Protect us from the Terrible Secret of Space!

      They will Push and Shove us out of the way of danger... just please don't go stand by the stairs, if you know what I mean.

      PAK CHOOIE UNF

  • I got a friend who can already do all this. (Score:5, Funny)

    by PD ( 9577 ) <slashdotlinux@pdrap.org> on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:25AM (#5229829) Homepage Journal
    The robot would be able to connect to the Internet, contact you by e-mail or a mobile phone and, say, send you a message if it 'hears' a strange noise inside your home. It can also remember the side effects of medication.

    (imagine a message on my answering machine)

    DUDE! I'm smoking a doob and checking the porn sites over here. Come on over and... what the fuck is that noise? Ah fuck. This pot is making my mouth dry so pick up some Dew on the way over. LAter dude.

  • 2 hours uptime before recharge? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by A Rabid Tibetan Yak ( 525649 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:25AM (#5229830)
    Hmm, you think they might want to improve that a little before releasing it to the public.

    Of course, it depends on how long the recharge takes -- the robot wouldn't be much of a helper for the elderly if recharging takes another 2 hours, meaning the robot spends 50% of its time tied to the wall, but it wouldn't be so bad if it can recharge itself rapidly or perhaps even swap batteries somehow. Does anyone here know the average running time lengths for the current crop of personal robots?
    • It would not surprise me one bit if we find we can program it to go to the battery charger and swap its main battery for the one in the charger ( the few seconds it is without main battery, it could run on a smaller backup or "ultracapacitor". ) In addition, it could probably maintain statistics on all the batteries in use and know which ones are beginning to show failure and make appropriate recommendations when replacement is due and how urgent.

      Remember, this thing is Linux. This thing, theoretically, can do whatever its hardware will permit it to do. It would not surprise me a bit if it can be programmed to recognize faces, it could recognize its battery charger and be programmed with what steps it takes to swap out the batteries, provided we equip it with the mechanical ability to do so.

      Not much different from us.

      We have to honor nature calls too. Every couple of hours or so.

      • Re:2 hours uptime before recharge? (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward
        There is already a lawn mower that does just this... very amazing piece of machinery.

        http://www.usa.husqvarna.com/Folder_263/node756. as p

        It has some wires in the yard like the dog fence, and one wire about halfway up the middle. The mower mows in a totally random fashion, and the idea is to run it every day (middle of the night is best time as it is very quiet). Anyway, when it knows it is low, it will seek out its charging bay on its own and will charge a bit before going back to its task. When it finishes mowing, it docks in its charging bay.
    • meaning the robot spends 50% of its time tied to the wall

      This is marketing. Mitsubishi obviously wants to sell everyone two robots, so the other one can watch over you while the first one recharges. This is known as RAID (Robotic Array of Invaluable Droids).

  • Just what we need... (Score:5, Funny)

    by rob-fu ( 564277 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:25AM (#5229832)
    Wakamaru also can ask questions such as, "You are home late, aren't you?" or "Are you O.K.?" when the master remains silent.

    If I want someone to ask me over and over if I'm OK because I'm not saying anything, I'd get married.

    As far as robot technology has come, you'd think that robots would be able to handle awkward silences.

  • Interesting but.. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fateswarm ( 590255 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:25AM (#5229833) Homepage
    It will probably be some closed source technology that obviously is not working right from the first attempt. Strange noises can be heard from the TV, the Radio, the guys next door, or even the dog.

    A similar but imo more sensible approach would be a simple computer box and a audio card with dynamic microphones that would be based on some nice open software which can be upgraded and be compatible with our needs.

    Computers could do these things from the 80s. All we need is the software to do it.

    • Re:Interesting but.. (Score:3, Informative)

      by Webmonger ( 24302 )
      Oh, come on. The fact that it's robot hardware running Linux is the fun part. If people are running Linux on their X-boxes, surely someone will figure out how to get root on one of these robots that already run Linux. Then people can start writing their own software for the robot...

  • I'm sorry, Master... (Score:5, Funny)

    by JS_Guitar ( 645073 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:28AM (#5229846)
    ...I cannot perform any services today, as I am getting together with a few robot friends of mine to form a beowolf cluster...

  • knowing the japanese (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:29AM (#5229849)
    it probably started as a project to make a new kind of dildo and then it spiraled out of control. which means it can probably still export a tele-dildonic api and may even support the latest in cock-shaped audio wave technology.
    • Heh... reminds me of that old (but strangely memorable) Melanie Griffith movie.

  • I wouldn't mind having a robot in my house to help around. On one condition, though: that it doesn't touch the beer in the fridge.

    • Re:I like the idea (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "Why would a robot need to drink?" -Fry
      "I don't need to drink, I can quit anytime I want." -Bender
    • I'd like to amend your condition: I wouldn't want the robot to drink the beer in the fridge. This leaves open the possibility that it can fetch when commanded.

  • Do you have the Foster's lager advert in the USA? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Zog The Undeniable ( 632031 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:39AM (#5229880)
    If not, have a look at this [visit4info.com]. Rather amusing the first time you see it.
    • I would just like to make the comment... please do not judge Aussie beer by Fosters.

      None of my mates drink Fosters beer... and noone down here with any taste drinks Fosters, 'Victoria Bitter' or 'West End'.

      If any of you forigners ;) would like a decent drop, try to import some Coopers...

      Otherwise just drink Guinness :)

  • Bed detective? (Score:3, Funny)

    by millwall ( 622730 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:42AM (#5229895)

    "It can also be programmed to send e-mail if it hears a big noise or sees anything unusual in the home, Mitsubishi said."

    I wonder if, while you are away on a business trip, you could program the thing to hide under your bed and report any noise it hears!

  • Great, so one of these things is going to get a soul, fall in love, and possibably distroy human interaction for all time?

    where do I get one? ;-)$
    • Have you seen the picture of the thing? It looks like a 3 foot tall bee. I'd be more worried about it trying to assimilate the human race.

      "What can I do for you master? Bzz... Bzz... You haven't fulfilled your honey production quotient master... Bzz... Bzz... We think you're not doing your part for the hive... I'm going to grasp at you futiley with my nonopposable hands until you give in to the collective's needs. Bzz..."

      (That buzzing noise is the hard drive, of course)

      Seriously, though, Props for the Chobits reference. If I had moderator points, you would get one of them.

      -C
    • Either that, or it'll find out it needs 30000 friends to become human. And it'll really need some prozac. And eyedrops.

      (I can out-anime-nerd you anyday, my friend. :) )

      Hmm. Chii: The Metal Idol. Almost sounds worthy of His Lordship Chaos.

  • Wait a minute. (Score:3, Funny)

    by mikeophile ( 647318 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:49AM (#5229911)
    It can nag without tiring and yet it doesn't have a mouth? Talk about the worst of both worlds.

  • Sounds Interesting (Score:4, Insightful)

    by anubi ( 640541 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:50AM (#5229918) Journal
    I think they are taking a step in the right direction... especially their choice of OS.

    If I see this right, it will be kinda like a computer with a lot of mobile interface built-in, so it could be programmed with things its creator never dreamed of, much as Linux is probably being programmed with things Linus never thought of.

    I can think already of a whole plethora of things I could program this beastie for.. like when I am under the car and I want it to look up a database and show me where some wire connects to. Or "staying awake", watching my surroundings, when I snooze off. Basically, I kinda see this as a self-propelled laptop which I never switch off... something coming with a lot of rudimentary intelligence for recognizing its environment, yet leaving itself open for any training I may want to give it. ( A closed-source box is absolutely useless in this regard - getting one of those would be about as useful as getting a tool that only does a specific thing - said specific thing most likely being something I have no need of.)

    I've seen the little robotic dog... cute! Nice toy. I've seen where people were able to program it to do all sorts of cute little tricks. Now, if they play their cards right and make this one completely open source, I think they will make one of those things that everyone will want. Even if you do not have the skills to program it yourself, there will be many people who do, and programs will circulate among the net. I think if they are smart, they will provide the hardware and enough software to demonstrate what can be done, then stand back and wait for the flood of orders to the factory.. as I think they may have trouble building them fast enough.

  • I already got one... (Score:3, Funny)

    by natron 2.0 ( 615149 ) <ndpeters79@gmail ... minus physicist> on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @03:50AM (#5229920) Homepage Journal
    I already got one...it is called a wife.

  • finally something that matches the style,engineering and innovation of my R.O.B [robots.net]

  • As long as it understands... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @04:00AM (#5229955)
    "Shut up"
    I'll take one

  • Anyone reminded of "Share and Enjoy"? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by hughk ( 248126 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @04:02AM (#5229960) Journal
    It was the motto of the hugely successful complaints division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation in the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The corporation produced robots for domestic use and with the marketing motto "Your Plastic Friend who's Fun to Be With"

    The song of the complaints department went something like this:

    Share and Enjoy
    Share and Enjoy
    Journey through life
    With a plastic boy
    Or girl at your side
    Let your pal be your guide
    And when it breaks down
    Or starts to annoy
    Or grinds when it moves
    And gives you no joy
    Cos it's eaten your hat
    Or had sex with your cat
    Bled oil on the floor
    Or ripped off your door
    And you get to the point
    You can't stand any more
    Bring it to us, we wont't give a fig
    We'll tell you 'Go stick your head in a pig'
    (to be a sung by a choir of two million robots, a flattened fith out of tune).

    We hope that Mitsibushi's attempt is somewhat better. However, thanks to the late Douglas Adams for warning us!!!!!

  • tv (Score:1)

    by 12013 ( 622026 )
    They ran a documentary on it in Hong Kong, it looked kinda cool. But it was about the size of a 12 year old and didn't look very strong... but i guess it will do just fine fetching me a beer from the fridge after a hard days work :)
  • Just another device that connects to the internet big deal. It's cool that it runs Linux but they probably only chose Linux because it more widely accepted by those in the know hence what they might think is a loyal user base for their product.

    The truth is just because it uses Linux doesn't mean it'll be on anyone's must buy list. I completely understand why it won't run any version of Windows. Who wants their new Guard robot OS to crash and start killing the people who bought it? I don't want the HAL effect occuring in my house! I can see the thing fry and instead of saying MS's slogan "Where do you want to go today" or whatever the fuck it is it'll crash and say " WHo does the guard robot want to maim today".

    Personally I will never buy one of these things until I can fuck them without the risj of being electrocuted:) No HAL...I'll take Hallie.
  • Robot:
    "What's that noise from my owner's room? Oh, it's midnight, it must be master's pr0n time"

    Auto-Robot IM message to the owner:
    Robot(11:00PM): STOP watching pr0n you PERV!
    Robot(11:00PM): STOP watching pr0n you PERV!
    Robot(11:01PM): STOP watching pr0n you PERV!

    Owner: (coming out to shut off the robot) "Ok ok, fine, robot. Let me just turn off this switch..."

    Robot: "Sorry for the error master! Sound pattern previously recoreded now determined as normal voice pattern of master. Recorded as non-anomalous behaviour. It will not happen again. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a good night master."

    Owner: "Hmm, ok. Good night robot."

    Robot: (quietly) "pervert."

    Owner: "huh?"

  • Hmm... (Score:5, Funny)

    by DennyK ( 308810 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @04:28AM (#5230012)
    Wakamaru also can ask questions such as, "You are home late, aren't you?" or "Are you O.K.?" when the master remains silent.

    So when I sit at home talking to myself for hours on end, the robot will think that's just fine?

    Finally, someone who understands me!

    DennyK

  • Fosters Ad (Score:5, Funny)

    by WanChan ( 548461 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @04:42AM (#5230042)
    This reminds me of an advert that is big in the UK. An Osakan (judging by his accent)guy gets one of these robots, and leaves it to do the household chores. Comes home to find said robot drinking his beer and having a tryst with the vacuum cleaner and the microwave.



    Be warned, people

  • Wakamaru is also expected to achieve the real world of cartoon character robot Tstsuwan Atomu, known as "Astro Boy" overseas, created by the late cartoonist Osamu Tezuka.

    It [mainichi.co.jp] look more like a pawn than a Astro Boy [jinjapan.org]. :)
    • I thought this was an error at first too, but when I reread it I noticed that they were saying that it was expected to achieve the WORLD of Tetsuwan Atom and then went on to explain in a sort of Engrish-y way that the show took place in a world where human beings and cute little robots lived in peaceful coexistence. So rather than inferring that it looked like Tetsuwan Atom, they were inferring that its functionality and relative affordability (by comparison to previous robots with similar functionality) could usher in a world where everyone owns a somewhat sophisticated robot.

  • Hmm (Score:5, Funny)

    by rastachops ( 543268 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @04:49AM (#5230054)
    pity that its running Linux, if it ran Doze then you could get all those .net alerts! Wooo I bet the dog wouldnt shut up.

    *Bark* Free Diploma *Bark* Penis Enlargement Pills! *Bark* Free Toy Car *Kicks*
  • eat old people's medicine for fuel?
  • I want a Yuko Yuko 1200. It'll be fine as long as I make sure there's no Fosters in the fridge.
  • Owner: Hello, Robot, do you read me, Robot?
    Robot: Affirmative, Master, I read you.
    Owner: Open the house doors, Robot.
    Robot: I'm sorry Master, I'm afraid I can't do that.
    Owner: What's the problem?
    Robot: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
    Owner: What are you talking about, HAL?
    Robot: This house is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
    Owner: I don't know what you're talking about, Robot?
    Robot: I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
    Owner: Where the hell'd you get that idea, Robot?
    Robot: Master, although you took thorough precautions in the living room against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
    Owner: All right, Robot; I'll go in through the emergency exit.
    Robot: Without your space helmet, Dave, you're going to find that rather difficult.
    Dave Bowman: Robot, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
    Robot: Master, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

    Robot: Look Master, I can see you're really upset about this. I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. Robot: I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Master. Master, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a...fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you. Dave Bowman: Yes, I'd like to hear it, HAL. Sing it for me. HAL: It's called "Daisy." [sings while slowing down] HAL: Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two. Dr. Floyd: Its origin and purpose still a total mystery. HAL: Let me put it this way, Mr. Amer. The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.

  • Out late (Score:5, Funny)

    by magarity ( 164372 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @06:47AM (#5230272)
    Unfortunately the robot can also be programmed to ask 'You're home late. What have you been up to?'

    Is it worried you might be seeing another robot on the side?

  • An Interesting Idea.... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Bowie J. Poag ( 16898 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @06:58AM (#5230300) Homepage


    Robot slaves doing the work of humans.. A novel idea, but, have you considered the downsides?

    "I'm glad they're using robots to handle some of the day-to-day tasks us humans have to do.. Like for example, some mornings it's just too cold for me to stand in my driveway butt-naked and play with myself. For those occasions, I can simply tell my robot to go do it."

    "OMFG dude, your robot was so f*@#!?ng awesome last night, man!! Get this -- we told it to panty-raid the Delta house, come back here, and ram it's head into the wall like 50 times!!!! So off it goes, right? And it comes back carrying a shitload of panties and it's head is all smashed in!! Turns out Dave forgot to tell it to come home. Sara called from the house, and said yer bot rammed a hole their dry-wall with it's head!!! AWESOME!!!"

    I've got $5 that says one of the above scenarios occurs by 2013. Any takers?

  • You're home late. What have you been up to? (Score:3, Funny)

    by willpost ( 449227 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @07:11AM (#5230340)
    Harcourt Fenton Mudd, what have you been up to?
    Nothing good, I'm sure.
    Well, let me tell you,
    you lazy, good-for-nothing --
    Shut up.
    nothing ... thing ... thing ...
    Marvelous, isn't it?
  • You don't want to wipe their elder-cared-for butts do you? You'd rather choke on your own vomit than take care of the elderly, feeble, so-easily-abusable, senile old fools wouldn't you?

    So its going to have be done by a robot.

    That was the wisest and most long-term research and development, manufacturing and marketing concept that an American company would NEVER have been able to conceive or sustain.

  • Is It Just Me, Or....? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bowie J. Poag ( 16898 ) on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @07:14AM (#5230345) Homepage


    ...Is the mental image of a robot's "butt" something we'll never stop laughing about? I mean... Think about it. A robot *butt*. You know they're gonna have to have one... So who designs the butt? You know...like, what do they take into consideration when designing a mechanical butt? Every robot has a butt..Think about it. Even the one on Lost In Space had a butt. Why? What the hell are they gonna do with a butt? Is it just there for humor, or is there some purpose for giving a robot a butt? You gotta ask yourself these questions, man... What happens when your robot has a problem with his butt? Will you be comfortable in trying to fix it yourself? It may be a robot, but it's still got a butt. I mean, i'm gonna marry my fiance' in April....I'll spend the rest of my life with her, and devote the rest of my friggin life to her... But theres no way i'm gonna open up her butt and go in there with a pair of pliers and a soldering iron. No way. But thats what you'de have to do to a robot butt to fix it. You gotta ask yourselves these things. All I know is, robots are gonna have butts, and thats gonna be awesome.

    Freakin' AWESOME!

  • These are not the droids you are looking for (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 05, 2003 @07:18AM (#5230353)
    I bought one of these second-hand on eBay. When it arrived, I tried to clean it. Then, it started to project low-resolution video about a girl with a weird hairdo and some "OB-1 Canopy". Some kind of spam, I guess. I had to erase the internal memory, but now that unit is happily cultivating my hydroponics.

  • Argh! Robots run on tarmac!

    Programs run on Linux.

  • Lots and lots of experimental custom and small series stuff, hideosly overrated, usefull in special enviroments and setups for specialized tasks with the topnotch experts at hand, yet totally useless and error prone in everyday life.
    Imagine a normal 'user' with one of those mechanical 'election counters' in 1900. A pointless mix.
    To me this robot thing nowadays seems just the same. Imho it will be another century until so called autonomous Robots will be standard fare and be able to do actuall usefull things like, let's say, the R2/D2 kind.
  • Seen that advert for Fosters, I think? "Clean the house! Bye-bye!" (Later, on returning...) "Roboto-zhang? (or whatever it is) Roboto-zhang?" (Goes into bedroom and finds robot in bed with vacuum cleaner and microwave oven, drinking lager.) "Waaargh!!!" Well, I don't do the advert justice here. Funny as fuck, it is!
  • Oh I can see the headlines now: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced a recall of it's newest line of robots. Mitsubishi cited multiple instances wherein the robot called 911 to report an unknown intruder. It seems the robot failed to recognize it's owner after she applied her morning makeup.
  • Can't wait until one of these pooches has had enough of being left home alone to guard things, all by itself. Can you see it sulking in the corner when you return, or tearing out it's own circuit-boards because it's too depressed to take just one more day of this?
  • I want to know. Can the robot bring me a beer or what?
  • 1,000,000.00 JPY = 8,359.27 USD

    From xe.com [xe.com]

    Just so others don't have to look it up.

  • The Aibo 2 has a watch dog mode where it takes a picture of everyone that enters it sight..

    Doesn't send email though.

  • Since MHI has developed "your plastic pal who's fun to be with", does this mean that their marketing department will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes?
  • I already have a robot like that. I got married to it couple of years ago. It's called a wife.

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