Li’l Missy here, working through the obstacle of spotty-ass wifi in the hotel room to get you up to date on what the heck we’ve been doing since we vanquished the forces of entropy and got to Tokyo intact.

We’re here for the International Robot Expo, the largest robot exhibition in Japan. While there are many booths that feature the same old industrial robots and bolt sorting machines and etc, there’s also a ton of stuff that really fails to suck. We’ve been meeting interwebs people in person for the first time, and are having a ball doing it.

Here are a few pics detailing what we are seeing.

This is Tokyo Big Site, a massive convention center where IREX is being held. It’s big. Real big. No, bigger. There are five or six huge conventions going on, as well as lots of interstitial restaurants and vending machines. None of the vending machines contain beer or schoolgirls’ panties, but we will keep looking, don’t you fret.

AIIIEE!!! Teeny winky shuffle bots with the tiny, tiny feets! Teh ky00t! It burns!

These little robots had no wheels, only little vibrating feet that got them hither and thither. they seemed to be directionally controlled, although I could not tell if it was autonomous and human. They also seem to be light-sensitive for light and dark areas underneath them.

Three words: Robo-One Laser Tag. This guy is playing Terminator-style in a cloud of talcum powder, click on the thumbnail to get the full on end-of-the-world-disaster feeling. A bunch of them played against each other for all the glory and the loser bought the next round of beers. It was awesome, and by awesome, I mean totally sweet. Better than ninjas. And nothing is better than ninjas, except for maybe more ninjas.

Creepy? Yes. Highly amusing to watch sober-suited Japanese industrialists squirm as they handle a fussy robot? HELLS yes. The Real Care Baby is a doll that simulates a real child for use in daily life and to find out which reprobate highschooler would do well to never. ever procreate. They cry, they fuss, they do the things babies do. They are all identical. It’s weird in an oddly compelling way.

More in a bit, as our wifi is funky here.

A big huge Hail and Arigato Gozaimasu to all the extremely kind, smart, interesting and beautiful people who sent us a bit of cash to help us out of our jam. We were stranded in the Vienna airport, with our luggage in hock and our credit card maxed out because of a very naughty hotel agency.

After making the hop from Vienna to Paris to Beijing, we have made it to Tokyo. The whole experience was not unlike one of those really high levels of Zelda where you just wander around a whole lot looking for power up and weapons until you get to the end guy. There is always another obstacle. We are finally ensconced in the world’s teeniest hotel room, and are walking out the door to detail for you wondrous tales of the IREX International Robotics Exhibition.

Big ups especially to Charlie Gadeken and Pouneh Mortazavi, our A-Number-One Flaming Lotus Girls (Go to the fundraiser on Friday, it’ll be a hoot)

Mom and Dad Suicidebot also pitched in for their machine obsessed daughter and loose cannon son-in-law. I am hereby sorry for my teenage years.

The fantabulous, good looking and sprightly Trossen Robotics also pitched in to save out collective kiester, no sponsor have ever gone so above and beyond.

Also, Magnus Wurzer of Shifz, our cohort in Vienna, sent us a little dosh, we love you Magnus!

We would also like to thank, with kisses and lots of 10-W-30, Li’l Joshy Mehlman (who is of course always free to point and laugh), Danny O’Brien, intrepid defender of our informational rights, Daniel Gaspari our biggest fan, and Erik Stevens of Roboverse, who all pitched in and got us upgraded to eating out of vending machines rather than waiting for the airline food to come along.

T Shirts, stickers, and extra special luuuurve will be sent out next week.

This guy is cooler than you are.

Feroz Ahmed Siddiky of the International Islamic University in Chittagong says his “IRobo” responds to voice commands, has spatial intelligence and is cheap because it’s made from scrap materials he’s collected from electronic shops and car mechanics.

“On completion, this robot will comply with different verbal commands for tasks like shifting objects, cleaning floors and standing guard,” Siddiky told Reuters.

Everybody go to the junkyard and build one for yourself. It’s easy. Okay, go.

[From Reuters via Futuresheet Thanks Evil Signtist!]

South Korea has declared that there will be a robot in every home by the year 2020.

Yeah we’re late on the bandwagon to this, but we thought it was worth reporting since they actually seem to have a chance at success. South Korea is ridiculously wired (they are wifi and cell-coverage saturated) and are famous for being a population of early-adopters and gadget freaks. An example – remember Dog Poo Girl? Never fear, I am sure they use their powers for evil too.

[Via Freshcreation.nl]

A classroom full of gobsmacked schoolchildren was treated to a lesson in English taught by Tiro, a robot developed by Hanjool Robotics Crop and programmed with the will to destroy young minds ability to interact on the fly and keep the kids’ attention completely riveted to their teacher.

Tiro asked in English questions such as: “How many giraffes are there on the board?” It also displayed the name of the next student to participate in a role-playing task on the screen on its chest.

Korea’s dedication to becoming a world leader in the imminent surge of robotics technology should teach a thing or two to the US, who has not yet gotten a clue about robotics in any really meaningful government-supported way. Korea’s building a whole freakin’ district for robots, called “Robot World” and aims to have a robot in every home by 2020. We’re talking Rosie the Robot here, kids.

They also have nationwide free wireless. What a country.

[via Robots.net]

It seems there is a new concept car out there that has a wee robot built in to the dash:

The robot is PaPeRo, a cute little dude we have mentioned before. Papero automatically makes your driving experience better just through the sheer volume of Cutrinos* he emits.

The three-seated electric car has a cabin that can rotate all the way around, eliminating the need for backing up. As for Papero, he keeps tabs on you, saying things like “You look tired. There’s a coffee shop 500 meters ahead on the left” and “You’re so wasted, I can’t believe you’re driving drunk again.”

Just like Uncle Herman on family road trips, only this time you really can grab him and throw him out the window, as per your fantasies.

[Via Sci-Fi Tech]

*Cutrino: The Official Scientific Term for the cuteness of a robotic object. The Rotor will explain the equations.

The University Of Tokyo’s Lab for Intelligent Systems and Informatics has created Mowgli, a pneumatic frog:

So stable. So sexy. So delicious with tartar sauce.

Artificial muscles run by compressed air are nothing new, but this is a nice adaptation and it just jumps. . .so. . . high. . .

There’s a nice article that is not in Japanese here on Tech.co.uk

[Via The Raw Feed]

Did we do it? Did we *actually* scoop Lem Fugitt this time? Whoa.

Oishii!!!!!

Courtesy Wired NextFest, here is a completely adorable video of Keepon the dancing robot boogeying his way through Tokyo.

Beware: Hot Gothic Lolitas, Japanese Vending Machines, and Robot Dance Offs.

[Thanks Karen!]

Kawada’s HRP-2 (aka Promet) has been programmed to reproduce dance steps with the practiced grace of an electronic geisha.

So far the 128-pound (58-kilogram) dancebot has been taught the fluid motions of the Aizu-Bandaisan—a traditional Japanese folk dance—as well as more mundane tasks such as serving tea, carrying a table, and standing up from a prone position.

OK – now it should be noted, that I am the most jaded American roboticist I know. Been there, done that, flown half way ’round the world to see it, too.

The following video is the single coolest thing I’ve seen in robotic movement. Ever.

Better than Asimo.
Way better than Qrio.
And yes, even better than the micro-electronic hand that could grab the tobiko egg.

Watch this video and be awed.

I think Promet ought to call out Asimo to some seedy back alley in Shinjuku (filled with indigent tour-bots and broken down vacuums) and bitch slap him.

Of course, Lem knew about it ten months ago.

the arm bone’s connected to the, shoulder bone…

Mr. Robotics’ favorite game in the whole world is winning at “oh, you can too get toys from a claw machine.” The RoboBunker proves this with hundreds of plushies won from claws. But now, nirvana has reared it’s pretty head:

The robots come from MechaTrax, a Japanese android company.

Could these be the funkiest geeks since Kraftwerk?

God I love these guys.

Here’s a nifty-looking pan-asian robot competition, to take place in Vietnam:

This competition’s goal is fostering joyous cooperation between students for the eventual domination of their creations:
From BruneiDirect.com:

The ABU Robocon competition requires participants to use their creativity and knowledge on technology to invent robots. The event also aims to allow for the strengthening of relations between Asia Pacific youths who have shared interests.

The mission for this competition is quite lyrical. This year’s is based on the legend of Ha Long, a story about the creation of Ha Long and Bai Tu Long islands:

The legend of Ha Long has it that, ‘Once upon a time, soon after the Viet people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Viet people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.

After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Ha long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bai Tu Long.

Ha Long is the wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that only Vietnam was bestowed. Ha Long has become the pride of not only the locals but also of all Vietnamese people when it was twice recognized as the World Natural Heritage by UNESCO for its geographical and geomorphologic values. With its unique beauty, Ha Long is one of the most ideal destinations in Vietnam.

The rules of Robocon 2007 are built basing on this legend of Ha Long. A team of robots (symbolizing dragons) will carry the blocks having the shape of cylinder (symbolizing pearls) to build various kinds of islands symbolizing ‘Ha Long’; and ‘Bai Tu Long’ . The first team to complete the building of ‘Victory islands’ (in the shape of letter V in the centre of the Game Field) will be the winner. Duration of the game is three minutes.

Oh to be in Hanoi is August. . .hmm, okay perhaps not. They have that whole tropical summer things there. Bad for the diodes.

Mr. Woo makes robots out of junk. Mr. Woo can make walkers and rickshaw pullers. Mr. Woo can solder better than your mom. Mr. Woo’s tears can cure cancer, which is too bad, ’cause he NEVER CRIES.*

Thank you Honorable Street Tech, and also Honorable O’Reilly Radar.

* Mr. Woo is secretly Chuck Norris.

Panasonic has come up with a prototype that will cause every Burning Man aficionado to drool helplessly in their playa-coated fun fur.

From Pink Tentacle:

The carpet’s luxurious coat of faux fur (available in white, brown, or skunk-like black and white) houses a set of smart heating elements that deliver warmth only to the areas you touch when you cuddle it. Squishy, flesh-like control switches modeled after the paw pads of your favorite furry friend enhance the carpet’s overall zoomorphic feel.

What a great pickup line: “Could you cuddle my long, warm, furry love cushion? It’s lonely. . .”

So we’re sure you’re wondering to yourself “Self? I have a hankering to enter *something* into that RoboGames thingydoo, but I Just. Don’t Know. What!”

Say you want a nice simple humanoid in which to compete in Kung Fu or the Agility or all those other exciting humanoid competitions.

You poke around for a bit and discover the ugly truth about building one from scratch:

“Oh Noo! Humanoids, they are so very complex!
They are hard to build and break if you look at them funny! I do not own a mill nor do I have a big giant brain with which I may re-invent the Humanoid Wheel! Whatever shall I do?”

Well, fear no more Faithful Reader. We have an outlet for all your robot-building needs. Trossen Robotics has just consented to partner with us for RoboGames 2007!

We love Trossen for their huge assortment of robots, kits and everything else, plus they have a spiffy blog from which we steal from which we gain inspiration!

There’s a kit here for every taste, from the hyperreal anime cosplay goodness of the Manoi series, to Robonova and everything above, below, betwixt and between. We all know you’ve secretly been wanting an AT-ST for your very own, now you can have one all for a reasonable price and a few hours dealing with tiny, tiny screws.

Trossen is going to have all kinds of good schwag at Robogames, like sticker and fliers, along with some really spiffy deals for RoboGames attendees!

Make sure you stick the stickers somewhere really inappropriate, like your mom, or the girl’s bathroom at the Uptown, because nothing says Awesome like random robot schwag in unexpected places.

Thank you for providing us with this opportunity, Trossen Robotics, We thank you.