Japan

Get your own super-thin spokesperson

A new digital display technology is turning heads at the International Stationery and Office Supply Fair in Japan. While not yet mass-market, this type of display could certainly liven things up at home or in the office.

As translated by Pink Tentacle and found on Robot Watch: "This eye-catching digital signage system consists of a 0.3-millimeter-thick high-luminance rear-projection film (Vikuiti Rear Projection Film developed by 3M) applied to a 3-millimeter-thick glass substrate cut into the shape of a woman. A rear projector beams video onto the film, whose microbead-arrayed surface produces a crisp, brilliant image viewable from any … Read more

Pope gets a Sony HandyCam

So let's say you're a type of head of state, a prime minister. And you're going around Europe on a tour of the G8 nations. And you're Roman Catholic. Why not stop by the Vatican and give the pope a Sony camcorder?

That's what Taro Aso, prime minister of Japan and a member of Japan's tiny Roman Catholic minority, did Tuesday. According to Sony Insider, the product appears to be an HDR-XR500V HandyCam. They're good consumer models and a great papal gift.

We're wondering if Il Papa will actually use the thing, … Read more

Ramen robots invade Japanese restaurant

Just when you thought your noodle waterslide was the height of Japanese food gadgetry, a ramen shop in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi, Japan, is gaining popularity for its robot chef.

Technically the robot doesn't make the noodles, instead assembling the bowl, including the customized flavor options. Customers place orders on a computer, customizing aspects such as the levels of soy sauce and salt, and richness of the soup. Shop owner Yoshihara Uchida says there are 40 million different flavor permutations.

The noodles themselves are cooked by a human, with the robot creating a perfectly blended soup which is then delivered to … Read more

Gundam gets pretty (?) in pink

For every macho, giant-size tribute to Gundam out there, there's going to be a more froufrou version coming along. Ying for the yang. So while the guys will probably be gagging over this girly, bejeweled Gundam (in pink, no less), it actually looks quite fetching with its bedazzled flowery legs and armor. With love from China, of course, since no Japanese worth his anime salt would discredit this cult war robot on its 30th anniversary.

(Source: Crave Asia via Lifedoor Blog)

Japan continues to build robot army

Wakamatsu Park in Kobe, Japan, will soon play host to the latest member of a robot army. A life-size Tetsujin (aka Gigantor) robot, 60 feet tall and weighing nearly 50 tons, will be on permanent display starting in October. Tetsujin joins a life-size Gundam, built in Odaiba.

According to the AnimeNewsNetwork, "The Kobe Tetsujin Project's statue is intended as a symbol of the city's revival after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. It is being built in Nagata Ward, the city's hardest hit neighborhood which has since been rebuilt and revitalized. The statue also celebrates the life of one of Kobe's most well-known native sons, as Yokoyama not only created the Tetsujin 28 manga and anime, but also Giant Robo and Sally the Witch." … Read more

Ricoh jumps from copiers to the cloud

Japanese copier maker Ricoh launched "quanp," a new cloud storage service in beta a few months back and has decided to extend the beta period in the U.S. to garner more community participation and feedback.

'quanp' is short for "quantum paper" and apparently refers to Ricoh's interest in extending the reach of documents and creating interconnections between devices. The service calls itself a "new visual online storage service that intends to be the online spot for collecting and organizing all of your digital life memories."

To this end, Ricoh created a Windows … Read more

Toyota thinks up mind-reading wheelchair

Last week, we told you about Mindflex, a Mattel toy that lets players move objects with their brains. This week comes word that the same technology is making its way into a more functional application--a wheelchair that users can maneuver with thought alone.

Toyota has developed the wheelchair in collaboration with researchers in Japan. The system analyzes brain wave data using signal-processing technology and delivers neuro-feedback to the driver.

Brain wave-detecting technology, or electroencephalography (EEG), isn't new. In layman's terms, a device, usually a cap wired with sensors, detects a person's brain waves. That information is analyzed by a computer and applied to the device in question. Scientists have pursued the technology for decades, but have had difficulty achieving short response times, explains the Associated Press.

Toyota's mind-controlled wheelchair, however, has what appears to be the quickest response time yet: 125 milliseconds, or 125 thousandths of a second. The user can almost instantly steer right, left, and forward. To stop, the person in the chair must puff up a cheek, a motion that's then detected by the headpiece.

Because of this quick response time, plans are under way to turn the wheelchair into a commercial health care product. The most practical use would be for rehabilitation patients who have been paralyzed, suffered a stroke, or have other conditions that hinder their muscle control. So far, the research has centered on brain waves related to imaginary hand and foot control. However, Toyota hopes the system could ultimately be applied to brain waves generated by emotions. … Read more

Doraemon TV anime turns 30, birthday bot to follow

Claws unsheathed. If you remember the Hello Kitty ROBO back when the pink feline celebrated her 30th anniversary, it looks like there may be a cat fight in the works. Doraemon, the cat-like robot from the 24th century, is about to get its own birthday bot for 30 years of TV anime. Bandai Japan's will unleash a 6.3-inch-tall robot called, drumroll... "My Doraemon."

Here's where the one-upmanship comes in. While ROBO sports a rather fixed stare and is mostly stationary, Doraemon employs e-paper eyes capable of expressing up to 10 different emotions. It also has … Read more

Japan airport starts motorized tricycle patrols

Chubu International Airport has bought several three-wheeled Toyota i-Real vehicles to be used by security and service personnel. The tricycles can operate at a top speed of 15 kilometers per hour and will carry emergency medical kits and computers that will allow airport staff to check flight schedules for passengers.

While they'r clearly not the fastest mode of transportation, I like the idea that RoboCop can tell me if my flight is on time.

(Via JapanProbe)

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