The host of the Honda stand at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show will be the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, the new Asimo. This Asimo robot is the latest in a long line of robots from Honda which began with the E0 robot in 1986. It will be helping to demonstrate the Honda Insight’s abilities.…

Shimizu Corp and Yasukawa Electric from Japan have opened the “Smart Showroom” that is part of the Smart Robotics Building Project, which will demonstrate the use of Smart Robots in intelligent buildings. The concept is a combination of building infrastructure, technology and robot technology and aims to achieve a variety of services and comfort to…

Toyota Motor Corp. and a research body of the University of Tokyo have jointly developed a prototype for what many busy career people have been dreaming of for a long time: A hardworking robot that handles household chores. The 155-cm, 130-kg humanoid robot excels in the capacity to distinguish and perceive objects such as furniture…

The robot research laboratory at Chonnam National University, Korea has developed a robotic plant that has humidifying, oxygen-producing, aroma-emitting, and kinetic functions. Just like real plants, the robotic plant emits oxygen, moisture, and aroma. It also responds in various ways to stimuli from outside, such as approaching persons, music or light. When a person comes…

Cyberdyne a new company in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan will mass-produce a robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems. HAL- short for hybrid assistive limb -is a computerized suit with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin. The robotic suit will be available for rent in…

VIA today showcased VIA EPIA Pico-ITX-based entertainment robots at the Taipei International Robot Show, being held on 21-24 August at the World Trade Center in Taipei, Taiwan. At the VIA booth there will be three compact robots provided by PlayRobot, a Taiwan-based robot developer and distributor of educational, scientific and entertainment robots for government, academic…

The newly-developed underwater robot Sentry capable of diving as deep as 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) into the ocean, has successfully completed its first scientific mission, the U.S. National Science Foundation reported on Wednesday. Sentry is a state-of-the-art, free-swimming underwater robot that can operate independently, without tethers or other connections to a research ship. Working in…

NEC demonstrated the use of its PaPeRo home robot as a human machine interface (HMI) for inputting information, such as the destination and purpose of an outing, into a car navigation system and other devices. According to NEC, the purpose of utilizing PaPeRo as an HMI is to improve user convenience through the use of…

Yamaha showcased a stick-like device, “Muro Sensor,” that can be used to play music by sensing the direction and speed of acceleration. The Muro Sensor, in its about 15cm long chassis, is equipped with a triaxial acceleration sensor, a proprietary 2.4GHz wireless module developed by Nordic Semiconductor ASA of Norway and it looks like Nintendo’s…

A robot developed by the Robot Research Institute at the New Industry Research Organization,Japan imitates a pose taken by a woman. The 160-centimeter robot can assume human-like postures by simultaneous control of its 16 joints used for limbs, neck, waist and other body parts. The institute hopes the robot will be used for fashion and…