Japan-Korea robot wars
Four of Japan’s top robot startups have decided to pool their efforts in order to meet the threat of rival South Korea overcoming Japan’s lead int he race to commercialize robot technology.
Japan, which has long led the world in robo-technology, has created machines that can clean, dance, greet, feed, monitor, relax and befriend. But for all the buzz, so-called “intelligent service robots” have been slow to penetrate the average home, which is still more likely to shell out money for the latest flat screen TV than a pricey humanoid.
The companies — Tokyo’s ZMP Inc., Nagoya’s Business Design Laboratory Co., Osaka’s Vstone Co. and Fukuoka’s Tmsuk — say that new South Korean robot legislation passed earlier this year compelled them to form the “Association for market creation of the future generation robots” to cooperate in research, development and marketing.
Apparently the South Korean government is committed to having a robot in every house by 2020, and the country’s National Assembly has passed legislation to promote development and marketing through financial support.
Thanks to D
“new South Korean robot legislation”… we really are living in the future!
June 20th, 2008 at 6:48 amAnd here is proof that Japan is serious:
TOKYO - She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.
A Japanese firm has produced a 38 cm (15 inch) tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around US$175, with a target market of lonely adult men.
Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named “EMA” puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its “love mode”.
“Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that’s sweet and interactive,” said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.
“She’s very lovable and though she’s not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend.”
EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualisation, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year.
Japan, home to almost half the world’s 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:16 amThe idea of a robot girlfriend is one thing, but at 38 centimeters?
Whatever stereotypes they’re breaking aren’t gonna be half as big as the ones they ratify…..
June 20th, 2008 at 5:51 pmsomeone at SEGA has been reading far to much Chobits
June 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pmvittel, we might have had our belief-system differences but..only YOU could have done this post justice!!.
Q: vittel, what would you do with 15-inch fembot?
A: (rude words!!! ..)
rem.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:24 pm