Robotics

This month, a robotic staff member named Wakamaru will be coming to the Japanese clothing store Uniqlo in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood. Designed by Mitsubishi, the robot can express emotions, make eye contact, and it’s outfitted with facial recognition software.

Sure, watching the most impressive athletes in the world sprint a 500M is probably the most entertaining thing you’ve see in a long while, save for these racing robots from the the annual Robot Athletic Meet in Tokyo’s Akihabara district. Check out the robot on the left. He’s playing for keeps. It might appear as if it’s falling over due ...

Are you a big dick player? Lookin’ fly in your G5 airplane? Step up. You need this chrome Lamborghini from German tuning firm Hamann. At $630,000, it’s a bit expensive but nothing your rich uncle can’t afford. Chrome paint job, performance tuning. Yeah. This Murcielago LP640 will make you a big dick player alright. Link

Here’s a video I found on Astorians.com that shows a hacked/modified Rock-afire Band from Chuck E. Cheese singing an Usher song. It’s hilarious and is on par with the other Rock-afire video we found. Link (via)

Robotics design firm Wowwee is selling their new Femisapien robot online for $99. Femisapien has seductive curves, microphones, artificial intelligence, and “36 functions and 20 interactive routines” including dancing and blowing kisses. Like all good women, femisapien can learn your instructions and respond to your commands. Femisapien is only fifteen inches tall and, sadly, she’s not anatomically correct, but she’s ...

For those of you who will be in New York during the second week of September, we suggest you come out and visit us at the Minitek Electronic Music Festival. It’ll feature a handful of different electronic performing artists, music, art, technology and more. It takes place September 12th through the 14th and will feature both an indoor and outdoor ...

Remember the hit toy the Furby? It was the first successfully domestically-aimed robot that sold well because all the kids just had to have it. But, just like the Tickle-Me Elmo or any other Christmas time fad, it died off and everyone forgot about it. That is, until David Cranmer skinned a few of them and turned them into a ...

If I was a hacker of any sort, I’d probably get a lot of credit for picking such a cool fucking name like LockWasher. That aside, LockWasher is a guy who makes all kinds of cool doo-dads. A jack of all trades, if you will. Found on MAKE, these robots are made from various bits of junk, electronic, scrap metal ...

Since spy robots are all the rage these days, Britain’s Ministry of Defence is holding their “Grand Challenge” in England this weekend. Several teams of engineers are taking part in the event, which is dedicated to developing new military technology. The winner of the challenge will receive lucrative government weapons contracts. Devices being tested at the Grand Challenge must be ...

The Opto-Isolator asks the question: “What if art could view us?” This strange installation was on display at the Bitforms Gallery in NYC stirring all kinds of emotions as it mimicked the human eye. It’ll focus on any one person staring at it for too long. In addition, it’ll follow the person viewing it as well as blink along to ...