Yes.. that is indeed an iPhone turned into a very very slow moving robot. This invention, courtesy of Japanese software engineer, Kazu Terasaki, is based on another product he was involved with called the “PuchiRobo” - a robot kit which turns nearly anything into a walking robot.  He even wrote an iPhone application for the moving eyes on the phone’s display (kinda creepy if you ask me). I have to admit that I did think this was pretty cool (even though I did gasp when the iPhon fell over onto the display) initially.. and then thought.. what the heck would one do with a walking iPhone? Oh well… inventors will invent!

[Check it out via DVICE]

Technorati Tags: Walking iPhone, iPhone robot, Kazu Terasaki

If you’ve always wanted a chick but you never really wanted to deal with taking care of one - might we recommend you check out the Robotic Chick? Yes.. some folks in Japan decided to create a robotic chick and at first glance.. it’s pretty darn convincing! The chick cheeps, chirps, and even flaps its wings when it gets petted. Ignore the chick a little and it’ll even cry! The small yellow bird measures 8 cm tall and 6 cm wide, requires 3 watch batteries to operate, and comes with its own nest.  Order one from ThinkGeek for $29.99.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Robotic Chick

Looking for a gift with a little “aww” factor? You might be interested in the new WowWee Alive Cubs that are due to come out in a month or so. The Alive Cubs consist of four models - the White Tiger Cub, Lion Cub, Panda Cub, and Polar Bear Cub. Features include:

• Realistic baby animal sounds
• Soft and cuddly design
• Animated mouth and eyes
• Built-in sensors detect when you pet it - resulting in purrs
• Sleeps after left alone for five minutes

The WowWee Alive Cubs are good for kids 3 and up but as GearLog says, it’ll probably also be a hit with the ladies.

[Check it out via GearLog]

Technorati Tags: WowWee Alive Cubs,

I literally suck at all things golf related.. so I’d be happy to have Crabfu’s Putter Bot on hand to help putt some golf balls for me. Yes.. the Putter Bot is indeed a small robot designed to do one thing - putt a golf ball. Check out Crabfu’s webpage for more information on the bot.

[Check it out via technabob]

Technorati Tags: Putter Bot

If the Transformers is your thing, then you’ll probably appreciate these metal sculptures constructed to mimic popular Transformers characters including Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime. I do stress mimic since these sculptures are not exact replicas of these characters, however, they are nevertheless amazing to behold. Heck - just look at the details to Optimus Prime which is available in several different sizes. There’s a 250 kg/220 cm high model which sells for $6896.55. If that’s a bit too expensive for your wallet, there’s also a 25 kg/70cm model for $689.66. And yes.. these sculptures are indeed made out of scrap metal.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Transformers, Sculptures,

Hasbro Tiger Electronics is taking consumer home robots to a new level with the introduction of the two and a half foot A.M.P (Automated Musical Personality) robot. Looking something more like Rosie from the Jetsons, the A.M.P. is a two wheeled robot designed for teens and adults that basically follows you around and plays digital music. It’s actually a pretty basic robot from a functional perspective. The bot weighs around 15 lbs, is most black in color, and has infrared sensors to help it avoid objects at home. It gets around the house thanks to its two rubber wheels and keeps itself balanced via proprietary gyroscope technology. Unfortunately you can’t teach the A.M.P. new tricks and there’s really not much else aside from the movement and the music playing. Pre-sales for the bot will take place in August with retail availability in October. Expect the price to be between $400 and $500 dollars. Hasbro plans on selling the A.M.P. in places like The Sharper Image, Amazon.com and Hammacher Schlemmer.

Here’s a video clip of the bot:

[Check it out via GearLog]

Technorati Tags: Hasbro, Tiger Electronics, A.M.P., Automated Musical Personality

iRobot Corp. has not properly updated its autonomous vacuum line of robots since 2004, with the introduction of the Discovery. But today, they’ve released a completely redesigned triplet, the Roomba 530, the Roomba 560, and the Roomba 570.

For those unaware, the Roomba series of robots roll around sensing dirty areas and vacuuming the floor, needing a recharge every 45 minutes to an hour (approximately the amount of time it takes to clean a room). The robot would roll around avoiding walls, furniture, ledges, and other obstacles, giving the room a thorough vacuuming in the process.

Here is a quick list of new features for the Roomba 500 series:

• The vacuuming power has been increased 100 percent, according to iRobot
• IR sensors running along the front bumper help detect obstacles and slow down the Roomba before impact.
• Redesigned interface. Obviously. And it looks a lot better, a lot more intuitive.
• Larger dirt chamber.
• Electric cords and carpet tassels are less of a problem, as the Roomba stalls the brushes and moves away whenever a tassel is encountered.
• A completely modular design, so individual components can be replaced as they wear out.
• Removable faceplates to personalize your Roomba and match your decor.
• A new “Virtual Wall Lighthouse” arrangement controls Roomba’s room-to-room automatic cleaning. When a Roomba finishes cleaning a room, it sends an RF signal to the lighthouse which prevents the Roomba from returning and allows the Roomba to proceed to the next room.
• The Roomba 560 and 570 features 2.4 GHz RF capability to interface with the Virtual Wall Lighthouses.

The Roomba 530 includes a dock and a pair of IR virtual walls and is priced at $300. The Roomba 560 has the dock with a pair of new Virtual Wall Lighthouses at $350. Finally, the Roomba 570 is priced at $400 and includes the “Wireless Command Center” which allows remote operation and scheduling.

More at iRobot, Engadget.

Technorati Tags: iRobot Roomba 530, 560, 570, Vacuum

Hello Kitty comes to life as a 52-centimeter tall robot.  Yay?

The robot is supposed to be able to communicate using its/her voice in 3 different situations - as a close friend, with the family, or in a guessing game.  According to the web site, the purpose of this robot is to “help you to stay with your child to keep them from being lonely.”  I don’t really get that - I mean, how can a 13 pound Hello Kitty replace a parent??  But, whatever floats your boat.

The mechanical kitty is also capable of face recognition through a CMOS sensor and voice detection by a microphone.  Its/her moving head, arms, and legs are additionally wired with a motion sensor.  Also included is an AV cable (TV out?), mouse device, and a USB outlet.

How did we get to this hard, cold, plastic companion?  What happened to cute, plushy Hello Kitty dolls??

[Check it out via Gizmodo]

Technorati Tags: Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty Robot

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