David is probably going to hate me for this, but an email just popped up on the Robotics Society of America mailing list from David Calkins, saying:

So, The All-Japan 3kg Sumo Tournament is Dec 21st in Tokyo.

Fujisoft gave me 2 seats to go, all expenses, … [and] I’m giving away the tix.

Want ‘em?

You gotta win ‘em.

In order to win the tickets, you have to mail your completed Sumo robot to David, where he will compete them in a normal Sumo tournament on December 6th. The two best robots from the tournament will win tickets to Japan!

For more details contact David directly. If you don’t currently have a Sumo ‘bot, get to building! Or, buy a kit and soup it up!

Update: This just in from David, “Luis Reyna and Alex Eisner won the sumo contest, and tix to Japan”. Congratulations to Luis and Alex! Let us know how the trip goes.

A new Japanese robotics magazine, Robot Life, has polled 500 Japanese females to ask them who was their favorite commercial robot. The grand winner was the PaPeRo robot, pictured at left, built by NEC. Also making the top 10 list (though, at a dismal 10th), is our friend Robonova. Wakamaru and Manoi were also in the list. Judging from the list, it appears that young Japanese females prefer style over substance - any surprises here?

Here’s the complete list:

1. PaPeRo
2. Ifbot
3. Wakamaru
4. Robofie VS-1
5. Nuvo
6. Manoi PF01
7. Vision Nexta
8. KHR-2HV
9. RB 1000
10. Robonova I

I have to say, though, that I’m surprised Plen and Asimo didn’t make it on the list.

From Loving the Machine and Engadget

Related:

• Japanese Company to Rent Hello Kitty Robo and Ifbot
• Chinese Huitong Robot Does Swordplay!
• Wakamaru Is Coming to Live with an Elderly Japanese Near You!
• Robofie Will Give RoboNova a Run For Its Money
  
• World’s First Robot Department Store to Open in Japa
• e-Nuvo, Nuvo for Educators
• Take Servo Magaine’s Readers Survey and Enter to Win A RoboNova
• Kyosho Announces Manoi AT01
  
  

(more…)

PeopleStaff, an employment agency in Japanese, is adding robots to its usual roster of people. PeopleStaff is recommending companies recruit Hello Kitty Robo and Ifbot. The positions are receptionists and hospital care, respectively. One wonders if the company is also considering a name change.

  The International Robot Exhibition (IREX) is going on right now in Tokyo, Japan! The 4 day long exhibition is featuring over 200 companies and some really cool robots. It looks like about the only site really covering the event is Akihabara News.

The PacMan robot at IREX (with video) is currently making big waves in the blogosphere. It looks vaguely like a FireFighting area with ghosts.

Also featured at the conference is Sora, the receptionist robot by In The Sky. This is similar to the robot information booth that was shown off at the recent World Expo. You’ll also want to gawk take a look at the ACTROID robot/android. This robot, complete with a plastic miniskirt, looks eerily human. Welcome to the uncanny valley.

Bandai’s companion robot will also clean your floors. No word on any relation to the Scooba, but the two probably have met before.

Fujitsu’s robot to guide customers around stores. Complete with large red "stop" button. Coming to a WalMart near you. At least, that’s my guess, or something similar.

Motoman’s Robar, the drink serving robot.

And, of course, yet-another-walking robot from Kondo. It’s movement looks extremely similar to the RoboNova robot from Hitec (mentioned in this post). Perhaps they’re using the same software/cheap-programming-labor-from-China.

However, hands down, IMHO, the cutest robot so far is the ZMP Nuvo ‘bot, which we’ve covered before. This little guy is pretty adorable. Gotta love the one glowing eye.

It is exactly the catchiest name I’ve heard (but volumes better than "Qrio"), but Wakamaru is the latest in Japan’s bid to take over the world with robots. That and help out their rapidly aging population.

Wakamaru, weighing in at 30kg, 3ft tall, and anywhere from $9,000 to $14,000 USD (Wired says $9,000, BBC says $14,000), better be something special. And, if all the claimed features are true, it is.

Wakamaru’s website has pictures and videos of the friendly yellow robot. It has a claimed battery life of 2 hrs and a slew of sensors, including 2 cameras (front mounted and omnidirectional), 4 microphones, and touch sensors. He also has 2 4 DOF arms. But, before you rush out and buy one take note that it won’t work well on surfaces with more than 1cm of unevenness (read: needs very smooth floors).

The folks at MontaVista Software (what’s powering Wakamaru) say, "Its primary goal for the Japanese market is to provide companionship … be with (patients) like a health-care provider."

Also of note is the website of Toshiyuki Kita, the designer of the robot.

Oh, and it’s Linux powered, so I fully expect to see a wave of hacks coming from across the pond.

Google News provides an excellent roundup of articles about Wakamaru.