Plastic Pals weekly round-ups

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates for April 25th - May 1st 2010:

Photo: Robot Statue in Dallas, Texas
A shiny, friendly traveler appears in Dallas, Texas.

ROBOTS Podcast Reaches 50th Episode!
ROBOTS podcast has bundled an ton of interviews into one huge megacast for its 50th episode! Check it out.

CHARLI-L
CHARLI holds the distinction for being the first complete (upper and lower body) full-sized humanoid robot built in the United States. Dr. Dennis Hong and his team at VA Tech’s RoMeLa will use CHARLI to compete in RoboCup’s Humanoid League (Adult class) this summer.

Photos of robots
....from various parts of China including mythic folk singers, beautiful model androids, and a huge rock-n-roll Transformer.

It Rubs The Lotion On Its Skin
Someone call the exorcist – this one seems possessed!

NAMO
KMUTT’s Institute of Field Robotics has developed a friendly humanoid robot to greet and guide people.

CHARLI-L takes its first steps
A video of Virginia Tech RoMeLa’s recently unveiled humanoid robot CHARLI-L taking a stroll.

An Open Source Personal Robot On The Horizon?
Francisco Paz has opened a website which will chronicle the 5-year development of an open source personal robot named Qbo.

Photo: Retro Robot Vending Machine
I want all vending machines to look like this.

Family Nanny Robot
Built by Shenyang Siasun Robot & Automation Co. Ltd., the Family Nanny Robot can speak, send text messages, and alert the authorities in the case of an emergency. For example its environmental sensors can detect a gas leak, and if no one is home it will contact the home owner through text [...]

Video Overview of DFKI’s Robotics
DFKI Robotics shares some of their work through an informative and entertaining 10 minute presentation video.

KIST’s Humanoid Robots Dance, Copy Movements
High quality videos of full-sized humanoid robots dancing? Sign me up!

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates for May 2nd to May 8th 2010:

JoiTech Humanoid
The University of Osaka and the Osaka Institute of Technology have teamed up to create a new full-sized humanoid robot.

Robots Entertain in Plays, Puppet Shows
Robots are increasingly being used in stage plays, including a puppet show in South Korea.

3rd Spanish Bipedal Robot Competition Held
Bipedolandia held the third Spanish hobby robot tournament in Madrid.

Hanool Robotics Signs $2.5M Deal With Saudia Arabia
Hanool Robotics will develop fire-fighting and security robots with KACST in Saudi Arabia thanks to a new partnership deal.

Photo: Toyota’s Violin-Playing Robot at Shanghai World Expo 2010
Toyota’s Violin-Playing Robot is only one of 30 robots at the Japanese pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

iCub: When Will Robots Learn To Think?
A short video about the iCub project.

Robovie-R Ver.3 Will Go Shopping This November
Robovie-R Ver.3 will go shopping this November as part of field trials to determine the robot’s commercial viability.

Honda’s Impossible Dream 2 (Commercial) an Instant Classic
A new version of Honda’s Impossible Dream tv commercial, this time with added Honda vehicles and my personal favorite addition: ASIMO.

CIT Brains’ 2nd Consecutive Win at RoboCup Japan Open 2010
CIT Brains took home the win at RoboCup Japan Open 2010 (videos).

Willow Garage Announces PR2 Recipients
Willow Garage has announced the participants in their PR2 Open Beta Program, a $4.4M research initiative.

JULIA
JULIA is a home entertainment robot built at the National Taiwan University.

Historical Recreation with Kokoro’s Actroids
Nara Prefecture is celebrating its capital’s 1300th anniversary with seasonal events, including this display presented by an Actroid.

Weird Alien Robots Spotted at Shanghai World Expo 2010
A trio of alien visitors climb the outer walls of a pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

CALLO & CALLY – The Cellphone Robots
A pair of cellphone robots that emote with simple facial expressions depending on the situation.

OUCH! Jaemi HUBO Suffers Stage Dive Accident
Jaemi HUBO suffered a bad fall in preparation for a ceremony, and was badly damaged as a result.


This week's movie and game reviews:

The Cove
The Cove’s heavy-handedness towards Japan clouds the bigger issue, but still delivers an important message.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics remains one of the most celebrated strategy RPGs – so how does its little brother on the Game Boy Advance hold up?

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates from May 9th ~ May 29th 2010:

One Step Closer to 28 with AIT-T7
A video of Aichi Institute of Technology’s 7th Tetsujin robot.

Aurora Kids
A Taiwanese company is displaying jade treasures along with the unusual addition of some robots at its pavilion.

Fujitsu’s Care Bear Shows Up At Fujitsu Forum 2010
A therapeutic robot in the shape of a teddy bear is being developed by Fujitsu to help alleviate loneliness and dementia in elder care facilities.

Fujitsu’s Teddy Bear Robot on Video
A video of Fujitsu’s therapeutic Teddy Bear Robot.

1:1 Evangelion Unit 01 Bust Under Construction
A new giant robot statue is going on display in Japan this July, from one of the most popular giant robot anime series ever created.

Speecys Still In The Game (With or Without SEGA)
Speecys is offering their years of expertise in natural language communication systems and cloud computing to companies looking to bring some built-in intelligence to their products.

Toyota’s Violin-Playing Robot at Shanghai Expo
A video showing Toyota’s Violin-Playing Robot performing a new song at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Video: FrostyDesign’s Robot Back Flip
FrostyDesign’s robot is back, and this time it performs a back flip!

Robot Marriages On The Rise
Kokoro’s I-FAIRY played the role of marriage witness at a Japanese couple’s wedding recently.

Photos: Robots Around China
Photos from China’s Science & Technology Week, Machinery Expos, and Toy Fairs from the week beginning May 17th, 2010.

Mini Robocue
Kikuchi Manufacturing reveal a smaller version of their rescue robot, which sucks victims of natural disaster into its belly to retrieve them safely from dangerous places.

Anybots Official Unveils QB Telepresence Robot
Anybots’ latest bot is all about connecting people over long distances.

Farrell Robotics Free-Styling at RoboGames 2010
A video showing some impressive hobby robots built by Farrell Robotics in the U.S.A.!

HRP-2 Promet Balances, Japanese Robotics Slide?
AIST’s humanoid robot shows its balance at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, but is Japan losing its balance in the field of robotics overall?

Robonaut R2 To Get Its Space Legs?
NASA sending Robonaut R2 to the ISS; may also walk on the moon – conceptual animations included.

Qbo’s Specs Revealed
Qbo, the open source communication robot, has its specifications divulged.

Acroban, A Playful Humanoid Will Appear At SIGGRAPH 2010
A playful humanoid robot will be presented at SIGGRAPH 2010.

NaviRobo
A small, crab-shaped navigation robot could help the elderly and hearing impaired make use of their GPS navigation systems.

iRobiQ Now Available in North America
RobotShop is now selling Yujin Robot’s edutainment robot iRobiQ in North America.

Mini Surrogates Available From “Little Island”
Little Island is now accepting orders for robot dolls through its website.

BERTI & BERT2
BERTI has gotten some upgrades, including a new face, arms, and hands.

Japan Plans Unmanned Moon Colony by 2020
Japan may invest up to $3 billion (USD) in a moon mission culminating in a unmanned base built in 2020.

Robots Podcast Interviews Aldebaran Robotics
Robots Podcast interviews Aldebaran Robotics about their humanoid robot NAO.

Willow Garage Knows How to Throw a Party
GetRobo has posted some funny videos from Willow Garage’s PR2 Launch Event.

The Gift (cool sci-fi short)
A science fiction short with high production values with a dark, eerie vibe.

Team NimbRo Kicking Butt at RoboCup German Open 2010
Team NimbRo competes in the Standard Class with the NAO for the first time this year, and made it all the way to the finals! Congrats!

Game review:

Chrono Trigger
I don’t throw around the term masterpiece often, as so few games deserve such hyperbole. Chrono Trigger, however, has managed to stand the test of time and remains one of the most beloved video games ever made.

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates for May 30th through June 12th 2010:

Palette Takes Part in ISETAN Global Green Campaign
Palette, the robotic mannequin, was on display as part of an environmental campaign in Shinjuku.

Hobbyist’s T-800 is Better Than Late Late Show’s Robot
An Australian hobbyist has built himself a cool replica of the T-800 and a robotic crocodile to boot!

Mechanical Matrimony Mix Up
A Chicago couple claim that their wedding was the world’s first robot wedding, instead of the widely reported one that took place recently in Japan.

Vgo – Telepresence Robots On The Cheap
A new telepresence robot is hitting the market, and it is significantly cheaper than its competition.

Photo: March of the Mascots
Innocent photo or nightmare fuel? You decide!

Will Humanoid Robots Help Build Mega-Engineering Projects?
A couple of video clips showcasing AIST’s research into humanoid robots.

Qbo Gets Its Own YouTube Channel
The Corpora has an official YouTube channel for their open source robot Qbo.

JEAP Symposium Just Around The Corner
A symposium on baby robots will be rounded out by a demonstration at the end of the week.

Photo: Robot Statue Made from Old Truck
A real-life Transformer in statue form.

Chiba Institute of Technology’s Big & Small Robots
CIT’s Advanced Robotics Lab has created some unique robots, including a quadrupedal robot vehicle and small insect-like robots.

Vstone Tichno Just Wants to Have Fun
A promo video for Vstone Tichno, a character robot platform.

Vstone’s RYOMA Makes TV Appearance
Vstone has built a robot called RYOMA based on the former RoboCup champion, the VisiON 4G.

RoboErectus Jr. Gets Awesome Redesign
An awesome new look rounds out the new capabilities of the redesigned RoboErectus Jr..

Mung; The Robotic Blob with Noble Ambitions
KAIST and Yonsei University developed this odd looking robot in 2007 and have been coming up with new ways to use it since.

M3-Kindy & Infant Robot Noby
JST Erato Asada Project, with Osaka University, AIST, and Tokyo University, have developed two new child robots that will be used to study cognitive development.

And the game review:

Legend of Oasis
Easily one of the Saturn’s best games, Legend of Oasis manages to separate itself from the hordes of Zelda clones with many unique ideas and fantastic execution.

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates for June 13th - June 27th 2010:

Robot Video Round-Up
A few videos, one is a brief clip from NHK about the new baby robots from Osaka & Tokyo University, the other shows the open source robot Qbo being controlled with a Wii remote.

Vstone Updates Site with M3-Neony & M3-Synchy
Vstone is now taking orders for the cognitive development robots M3-Neony and M3-Synchy.

Cute video of AIBO 311
A brief video showing off SONY’s AIBO 311 doing what it does best.

Robot Health Care with Robovie-mR2
ATR’s tiny robot, robovie-mR2, could remind your granny of her doctor’s recommendations.

PR2 Plays Pool, Hustles Its Own Programmers
Willow Garage’s versatile open source robot continues to impress by learning how to play pool.

CHARLI-L Introduces Itself
Virginia Tech’s large humanoid robot CHARLI-L speaks!

KHR-3HV Gets “Achilles”, A New Parallel-Linked Leg
Hobbyists can give their Kondo’s KHR-3HV robot kit a new set of legs thanks to Crafthouse’s new product.

I Can Put My Arm Back On, You Can’t, So Play Safe
Jaemi HUBO’s unfortunate accident in early May 2010 is now just a bad memory.

Photos: Aldebaran Robotics’ NAO at Shanghai World Expo
An army of NAOs perform Tai Chi at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

TOPIO Dio
TOSY, a Vietnamese robotics firm, unveiled a new humanoid service robot in Germany.

Hitachi’s Lovable EMIEW 2 Gets Upgraded!
Hitachi has finally shown some progress on their EMIEW 2 helper robot.

DLR’s Justin Could Fix Satellites Someday
The DLR’s robot Justin may one day fix satellites in space!

Myon
A German design firm has created a modular humanoid robot.

Naro (Nautical Robot) the Robotic Tuna Fish
Research students at ETHZ designed and built a pretty cool nautical robot based on the tuna.

NIT’s e-nuvo HUMANOID Needs A Name
NIT is holding a contest to name their in-house e-nuvo HUMANOID robot.

Nesbot
A coffee-making service robot that can take your order through a web browser.

Photos: PALRO at Shanghai World Expo 2010
PALRO appeared at the Shanghai World Expo.

Ninomiya-kun Demonstrated Again
A storytelling robot is being demonstrated with some new features.

And the game reviews... I finished Super Mario Galaxy 2, and then went on to complete Zack and Wiki in about a week.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2 adds some fresh ideas to the mix while retaining the magic and fun of the original. You just have to play it!

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
Zack & Wiki is one Capcom’s original IPs on the Wii, and deserves a second shot at success!

[Robotbling]

Here are the updates for July 19th ~ August 9th 2010:

M3-Neony & Others in American Media
The Associated Press reports on the baby robots made in Japan.

FloBi
A new robotic head attempts to avoid creeping people with the features of a doll rather than an actual person.

Olivia
Olivia, a receptionist robot built in Singapore, was unveiled at RoboCup 2010.

Autom’s On Her Way Next Year
Some new details about Intuitive Automata’s robotic weight-loss coach.

CHARLI-L Graces Pop-Sci’s August Issue Cover
Virginia Tech’s humanoid robot CHARLI-L, the first untethered bipedal humanoid robot built in the USA, is prominently featured in Popular Science magazine.

Programming by Demonstration: Flipping Pancakes
A video demonstration shows how a robot can be programmed to flip a pancake through direct physical instruction.

Pal Robotics’ Humanoid Robot Contests!
A couple of contests offering cash prizes for incentive ask you to design a robot and think up great robotics applications.

A Curious Robot
A curious robot learns to classify objects and how to grasp them.

REEM-H1
A multilingual service robot that can carry your bags developed in Spain.

Gundam Statue Fires Up Its Beam Saber
A video shows off the humongous Gundam statue’s cool beam saber upgrade.

HRP-2 Promet Tackles Uneven Terrain
A short video of the HRP-2 Promet walking on some uneven ground.

Robots Control Robot Wheelchairs At ROBOTECH
A few tidbits from the ROBOTECH Expo which was held this week in Tokyo, Japan.

Telenoid R1: Telepresence Just Got A Whole Lot Creepier
One of the creepiest androids yet; it wouldn’t look out of place at a circus freak show.

Acroban
A compelling humanoid robot that reacts to physical interactions in a flexible, lifelike manner.

Paul Guinan’s Boilerplate Gets Movie Deal
Paul Guinan’s sculpture has taken on a life of its own; now that life will hit the silver screen!

AISoy1, The Next-Generation Furby?
AISoy Robotics, a Spanish company, will begin selling a new edutainment robot this August.

Robot Stop-Motion Short of the Day
A stop-motion animated short film about a giant robot.

Photo: Rosie the Robot Maquette
Photos of some rare robot movie memorabilia that was auctioned off.

Wakamaru Hosts Shipbuilding Tour
With one of its shipyards in Shimonoseki, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has employed its humanoid robot Wakamaru to teach kids about shipbuilding this summer.

Kibo
Kibo was CIR’s first attempt at a small, expressive bipedal humanoid robot. It would later be replaced by a more sophisticated version (Kibo ver.1.2).

Kibo ver.1.2
Kibo ver.1.2 is a taller and more capable version of CIR’s small bipedal humanoid robot.

Namco’s Lost Robots from the ’80s
Some photos of Namco’s long forgotten entertainment robots from the 1980s.

General Robotix Gears Up To Begin Selling HRP-2m Next
Universities will be able to get their hands on a formidable new research platform beginning this September.

DLR-Biped – Could These Be Justin’s Legs?
DLR (German Aerospace Center) has developed a pair of robotic legs that are able to walk and resist external forces, all in less than 10 months.

[bigredhair]

Paul and I just came across your post about Boilerplate--thanks for the mention. We wanted to let you know that there is, in fact, a lovely hardcover book called Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel (Abrams Image 2009), which is how we got the movie deal with JJ Abrams. See www.boilerplaterobot.com

Best,
Anina Bennett

Here are the updates for July 19th ~ August 9th 2010:

Paul Guinan’s Boilerplate Gets Movie Deal
Paul Guinan’s sculpture has taken on a life of its own; now that life will hit the silver screen!