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
  
  

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  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.