Tag: robots

Ifbot

October 4th, 2008

Japan’s Business Design Laboratory (site translation tickling the threshold of humor) makes the rather disarming, interactive ifbot.

ifbot comprehends his conversation partner’s words, reacts with a variety of expressions, and can engage in expressive conversations. ifbot displays such emotions as “happy”, “embarrassed”, “angry”, “sad”, “disappointed”, “excited”, “annoyed”, and “depressed” with subtle movements of his eyes and eyelids, and facial expressions by LED. He carries tens of thousands of distinct verbal communication scenes. ifbot aims to provide comforting conversations as a true member of the family.

Do you feel comforted yet?

You can read ifbot’s priceless profile and view an anatomical chart.

He likes “Sweet Dumplings and other sweets…talking and studying earthlings.”

Me too, ifbot. Me too.
The WEEE Man

September 29th, 2008

The WEEE Man is not only a robot one might expect to see in post-apocalyptic sci-fi; it’s a statement.

The WEEE man, designed by Paul Bonomini, is a huge robotic figure made of scrap electrical and electronic equipment. It weighs 3.3 tonnes and stands seven meters tall – representing the average amount of e-products every single one of us throws away over a lifetime.

If I were in the UK, I’d like to pay WEEE Man a visit.
Falstaff the Robot

September 23rd, 2008

Roman Sock just posted quite an accomplishment: Falstaff the robot.

This tiny crocheted creature has the most impressive range of emotion I’ve ever seen in a robot creation. Look!

Falstaff is joyful…all is right with the world.

But a simple turn of the head makes him pensive, perhaps nostalgic.

Turn him a little more and he’s positively dejected.

I just want to take him home and make sure he’s never sad again.

I definitely need to keep up with Roman Sock’s posts.
Robots and Donuts Part 2!

September 18th, 2008

Sometimes there’s a moment of synergy that makes me feel aligned with the universe.

Right on the tail of my Eric Joyner Post, which centered around my desire to live in a world filled entirely with robots and donuts, a friend with no knowledge the post forwarded THIS to me after receiving it from a co-worker:

Source (I hope these kind strangers don’t mind the citation)

Someone out there has made my fantasy a sweet, sweet reality!

Supposedly, we attract the energy we put out into the universe. I guess my personal “Robot and Donuts” energy was strong enough to produce immediate returns! I promise to use this power only for good.
Eric Joyner

September 16th, 2008

Eric Joyner has a penchant for painting two of my very favorite things: robots and donuts. Even better, robots and donuts TOGETHER, larger than life!

Can I please live in these fictional worlds? I’ll take the possibility of imminent destruction by robots if I can have mountains of dounuts.

Is it strange that I “relate emotionally” to this fellow? I like to be left alone with my treats.

Joyner also has a short animation, in which some of my favorite paintings come to life:

I need this book in a major way.

This combination of imagery does something wonderful to me on a fundamental level.
Toby Atticus Fraley

September 6th, 2008

Toby Atticus Fraley designs custom found-object robots (many of which also serve as decorative lighting). I particularly enjoy the sense of *enthusiasm* he conveys with the use of very simple parts.

These robots love life. Probably more than most of the humans you know.

He also does wonderfully retro inspired sculpture and paintings.
Styrobot

September 2nd, 2008

Styrobot has a lot of great attributes. Chief among them is the fact that I could really stand a chance against him in a fight.

Not that I would want to destroy a creation of such meticulous craftsmanship and splendid design. It’s just that tiny, pixie-ish women can rarely boast a chance against anything large and/or menacing.

Maybe I could just…hold him over my head to look tough for a minute, then call a truce.

Inspired by Michael Salter’s Styrofoam Robots, this one was put together by a father and son team from five years of accumulated foam.

So dad, when are we going to make a giant robot from five years of obsolete electronics?
Hootbot

August 26th, 2008

I’m a sucker for cute robots. I wish I had owned a Hootbot in 1985. He’s got a little Wall-E thing going on.

In a time when new robot abilities were part of their allure, I enjoy Hootbot’s utter uselessness. Watch him in “action:”

That’s some damn fine twitching and blinking! Oh Hootbot, I love you.

Now that I’ve found The Old Robots site, I may have to incorporate some kind of regular robot feature.
Robot Marine Life

June 24th, 2008

Two of my favorite things, beautifully combined!

Festo has developed a graceful robot inspired by a creature of the sea. In fact, they have developed two versions, both based on the common jellyfish: the AquaJelly and the AirJelly. According to Festo, the AquaJelly is “an artificial autonomous jellyfish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system.” As for the AirJelly, this remote controlled device can glide through the air using a helium-filled ballonet, a central electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system.

This video reminded me of other robot fish making recent news:

The movement is rather well done, though if the creators were aiming for realism the fish could have been a bit less “bedazzled.” Perhaps I just balk at anything too closely resembling this.
Robot Art

May 31st, 2008

Warn me now if you don’t like robots, because they are likely to turn up here on a regular basis. I’ll start with Lawrence Northey’s Robot Art.

I love the retro feel of his creations. Check out those skates and the ray gun! The whole gallery is fun to look at.