Robotics and high-tech toy manufacturer TOSY has just introduced the mRobo Ultra Bass, portable speaker that doubles as a dancing robot. The battery powered mRobo carries two gigabytes of internal memory that enables a listener to store about 500 songs via a USB port. The mRobo Ultra Bass will morph from a speaker into dancing human form with a speaker once you press “play”. The speaker has the ability to produce bass at 40Hz. The mRobo tips the scales at 3.3 lbs, and will not be taller than 18″ in size. Unfortunately, the bot is still in prototype mode, but it’s expected to retail for about $200 when it launches during the fall of 2012.
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Honda has unveiled a new version of its lovable Asimo robot today. While the new ASIMO’s appearance is similar to the version of ASIMO, there are some key differences inside that promise to make this generation more capable than ever. The all-new ASIMO is now advanced from an “automatic machineâ€� to an “autonomous machineâ€� with the decision-making capability to determine its behavior in concert with its surroundings such as movements of people.
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Murata Manufacturing have developed a prototype version of an electric walking assistance car. Murata Manufacturing’s electric walker essentially uses technology from the company’s promotional robots, Murata Seisaku-kun and Murata Seiko-chan, which prevent users from falling over. Gyro sensors detect the stance of the user’s body in order to automatically and pre-emptively adjust itself, providing extra support when there’s a risk of the user falling.
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Automata’s Autom robotic weight loss coach is now up for pre-order on a dedicated “MyAutom” website. The $865 Autom from Hong Kong is a 15″ tall talking robot where you will use it to insert data on calories which you consume as well as the amount of exercise that you perform each day. One can find an LCD touch screen on her. User only needs to input data on the number of calories he/she consumed and the exercises that he/she does each day. Once inputted, Autom will reply with a customized advice and encouragement (she’s really one’s friend indeed!) To change boredom with Autom, user can download speech patterns for her courtesy of the web. Developer Cory Kidd says that many dieters have tried phone- or Web-based apps to get rid of excess weight, but there’s a “psychological difference” in using a machine with a head, blinking eyes, and body. The results showed the robot helped people stick to their diets for nearly twice as long as the other tracking methods
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Sanyo proclaims their Smart Home robot to be a world’s first powered by Google’s Android operating system. Called the MIRAI SANZO, this cute little robot meant for “families of the future� in Japan. The Robot is shaped like a ball and will basically function as a remote control for smart homes of the future. The robot comes with a touchscreen, touch sensors (to activate/deactivate it), voice recognition, Wi-Fi. It can even glow in seven different colors to express its emotion. Its owner can say “Switch on air-conditioning in the living room�, for example, and the robot will make sure exactly that happens instantly.

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LG, the south Korea based giant company has just announced a new series of vacuum robot dubbed as VR6172LVM. Apart from basic autonomous vacuuming, the LG Vacuum Robot also sports a low noise design of 48dB, and has a new Self Voice Over Diagnostic feature known as “Smart Diagnostic�. If you press this button for 3 seconds, the vacuum robot will diagnose itself for about 30 seconds to control up to 14 different components. It will automatically inform you if there is something that requires your attention to get it fixed.

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“Karotz,� is a smart rabbit. The pet electronic rabbit is not exactly a robot, but can play music, make calls, wake you up at the right time, and also tell you what the weather is like.Karotz learns its owner’s voice, habits and routine, and as a result will change the way users interact with their music, media and each other. It has voice recognition and voice control, an integrated web cam, and even an RFID chip inside. This means, one could use RFID tags in order to read barcodes, recognize data stored in RFID chips and other multiple questions.

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Some 29 robots become English teacher in South Korea. Engkey, white oval-shaped robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science Technology (KIST) began teaching on Monday at 21 elementary schools in the city of Daegu, South Korea’s southeastern region. This version of robots named EngKey are about 3.3 feet (1m) tall with a TV screen panel to show a human instructor’s face, wheeled around the classrooms while speaking to students, reading books to them and dancing to music by moving their head and arms.

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The TalkTorque 2 robot that is being developed by a team of researchers over at Japan’s Tsukuba University. The idea behind the Talk-Torque 2, which is almost more alien-like than robot-like, is that it can guide you through a museum using only gestures. Letting the human attendees follow the robot around, while it gestures with its head, hands, and hips towards important pieces.

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The YikeBike is powered by a 1.2kW electric motor. It is made from carbon fiber and is foldable also. It can unfold in 15 seconds as well. It sure is one interesting mode of transport that ought to be a hit in huge cities considering the extremely portable nature that allows one to tote it around wherever you go to complement public transport. Engadget has just reported that YikeBike foldable electric bike is now available for the price of $3,595. Previously the bike comes at a big price of $4900. It is far from cheap but about $2,000 less than its originally cost and a downright bargain for something that offers this unique blend of bizarreness and fun

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