Best Inventions 2005: Bot Crazy
(5 of 5)
|
Dancing Machine
Inventor: Tohoku University, Nomura
Unison Group, TroisO Co. Ltd.
Availability: Prototype only
To Learn More: www.irs.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/top.html
With a face modeled on Marilyn Monroe's and a long, flowing skirt to hide its three wheels, the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot is a 5-ft. 5-in. waltzing humanoid. Available in hot pink or blue, it has upper-body sensors that allow it to "predict" its partner's next steps. Dancing is just one application. "By interpreting users' movements to estimate what they want, care robots will be able to provide better service for the elderly who may be too sick or handicapped to give verbal orders," says bioengineering and robotics professor Kazuhiro Kosuge, one of the creators.
Next: Game Point >>
-
« Previous
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
Top Stories on Time.com
Most Popular
-
Most Read
- In Battleground Virginia, a Tale of Two Ground Games
- What the Troopergate Report Really Says
- How Valid is Palin's Abortion Attack on Obama?
- Is Barack Obama American Enough?
- For White Working Class, Obama Rises on Empty Wallets
- Is Cheaper Oil A Good Thing?
- Is Laser-Powered HDTV the Highest Def Yet?
- Palin's Blown Opportunity on Energy Independence
- Does Sarah Palin Have a Pentecostal Problem?
- Facing Reality in Afghanistan: Talking with the Taliban
-
Most Emailed
- The Financial Crisis: What Would the Talmud Do?
- Does Sarah Palin Have a Pentecostal Problem?
- How Valid is Palin's Abortion Attack on Obama?
- BlackBerry's Storm Aims to Blow the iPhone Away
- In Battleground Virginia, a Tale of Two Ground Games
- Is Barack Obama American Enough?
- What the Troopergate Report Really Says
- London's Gathering Storm
- October 11, 2008 - October 17, 2008 - Cartoons of the Week - TIME
- US Bank Failures Sit at 13 and Counting
Mixx






RSS