July 11th, 2008 by
Filed under: Cellphones, Robots
Tmsuk is back with even more crazy humanoid antics, this time demonstrating a shopping robot that can be controlled from far, far away. The modified TMSUK-4 humanoid showcased in Kitakyushu, Japan was actually being controlled by an elderly lady in her home via an NTT DoCoMo video-capable cellphone. Essentially, the technology enabled her to see through the eyes of the robot and presumably control its movements via the keypad. We are told that she was able to successfully browse the hat section and finally make a purchase, but who knows how many innocent bystanders were unknowingly mauled in the process.
[Via Pink Tentacle]
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Posted in japan, humanoid, robot, remote control, RemoteControl, shopping, remote controlled, RemoteControlled, Tmsuk, shopping robot, ShoppingRobot, TMSUK-4 | No Comments »
June 18th, 2008 by
Filed under: Robots
South Korea has already made its ambitious robot plans quite well known, and it now looks like a group of Japanese robot companies are doing their best to stay in the race, with them forming a consortium of sorts that they say will let them cooperate in the research, development and marketing of robots. Currently, that group includes Tokyo’s ZMP, Nagoya’s Business Design Laboratory, Vstone (makers of the Black Ox pictured above), and Tmsuk, each of which will apparently initially focus on “simple service robots” designed to keep watch on the elderly, pets, and children. They’re not getting much more specific than that just yet, unfortunately, with one of the company’s CEOs only going so far as to say that, “in ten years, robots may be able to help out around the house,” but that he doesn’t “necessarily know that robots should do everything.”
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Posted in japan, ZMP, vstone, Tmsuk, business design laboratory, BusinessDesignLaboratory, japan robots, JapanRobots, robot race, RobotRace | No Comments »
March 25th, 2008 by
Filed under: Robots
Inhuman babysitters aren’t all that uncommon around the world, but a new creature recently placed in a Japanese department store is a godsend for shopaholics with rugrats in tow. Developed by Tmsuk, the 1.4-meter tall bot is employed at a Fukuoka retailer in order to keep watch over rambunctious youngsters that are dropped off by their overworked parents. Reportedly, said critter boasts an integrated projector and camera, a colorful yellow / white outfit and the ability to identify children by name based on a special tag that each kiddo wears while playing. Of course, the manufacturer isn’t looking to just shove one or two of these into every store in Japan — oh no, it’s hoping to create similar robots that could one day “guide customers through the aisles of a store,” fill their carts or whisper the joke of the day in a French accent into their ears.
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Posted in japan, Aeon, baby sitter, BabySitter, childcare, Tmsuk | No Comments »
