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Adorable robots help travellers at Tokyo's Haneda airport
Getting lost in an international airport is never fun -- but if you're lost in Japan's Haneda this month, you'll at least be able get help from an adorable talking robot. From now until the 14th, Hitachi is testing its EMIEW3 humanoid robot in the airport's passenger terminal. Over the course of two weeks, EMIEW3 will direct visitors to an information display and answer questions in both English and Japanese.
Hitachi's answer to Pepper the robot is swifter and sturdier
Look out, Pepper: you have some fresh competition. Hitachi has unveiled EMIEW3, its first humanoid assistant robot built for full-fledged commercial service. Like its SoftBank-made counterpart, it's designed to help you find your way around stores and public facilities. It's particularly focused on tourists, as it can switch languages on the fly. However, its edge may simply be its ability to cope with real-world situations. It's much faster than Pepper (3.7MPH versus 1.2MPH), so it's more likely to keep up with humans; it can also get back up if it falls down, and listen to you in noisy street environments.
EMIEW 2 robot connects to the internet, wants to google your stuff (video)
The adorable, metallic-haired EMIEW 2 has been given permission to go on the internet and it's going to use that privilege to find exactly where you left that stapler. First, the android uses its built-in camera to take a snapshot of objects and then queries the visual data online to recognise it. Then, as shown in Hitachi's recent demonstration, it teams up with an array of cameras dotted around a hypothetical office. These help the robot seek out specific objects and guide puny humans to what they need -- with some voice recognition thrown into the mix. Skeptical types can watch the robot find and destroy all that lost property right after the break.
Hitachi's EMIEW 2 humanoid runs errands, could easily replace Michael Scott
While we thoroughly enjoyed hearing of EMIEW's (presumably) short-lived career as a hotel clerk, it looks like Hitachi's EMIEW 2 has some seriously large aspirations. In a recent demonstration in Hitachinaka, the two-wheeled robot wowed onlookers as it received commands wirelessly and happily ran office errands without too much trouble. The creation, which stands some 31.5-inches tall and weighs 29-pounds, did crash into a desk and stand motionless momentarily while being previewed, but developers didn't hesitate to inform the crowd that kinks were still being ironed out. Nevertheless, it was able to avoid obstacles while rolling about, understand and respond to human speech and move around for an hour before needing a recharge. The company refused to spill details surrounding its eventual price and release date, but we're hearing there may soon be an open spot in Scranton that this fellow could certainly fill.[Via Inquirer]
EMIEW bot now able to mingle without maiming
Ok folks, the future is officially upon us: Japan has just built a robot with a frickin' laser embedded in its head. Yes, we were thinking Cylons too, but it turns out that their intentions are not quite as devious. The new Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existance as Workmate bot (EMIEW) -- who last had a gig as a hotel clerk -- has now been equipped with a sensory laser, giving it the ability to navigate a crowd without bumping into people. Hitachi will demo the new-and-improved EMIEW at the 2006 World Automotive Congress beginning October 23 in Yokohama, Japan -- we just hope that its laser is also able to identify shorter folks, because injured toddlers are really bad PR.[Via The Raw Feed]
