Robot teddy bear car navigation system
On June 3, engineers at iXs Research Corporation unveiled a robotic teddy bear designed to work as a talking car navigation system. The prototype robot stands 30 centimeters (1 ft) tall and has 6 joints in its arms and neck, which it uses to make gestures while providing spoken directions.
The robot bear is also equipped with functions to improve auto safety, such as an alcohol detection sensor embedded in its neck. If it smells booze, the robot confronts the driver, saying, “You haven’t been drinking, have you?” Other sensors detect reckless driving, so if the driver suddenly accelerates or slams on the brakes, the robot says, “Watch out!”
As a bonus feature, the robot bear provides information about nearby landmarks when you stroke its head.
The company hopes to make the robot commercially available next year. “We want to make it more compact,” says CEO Fuminori Yamasaki, “and we’d like to offer a variety of shapes, including other characters and a plain mechanical version.”
Fujitsu has patented the idea of merging car navigation systems with dolls, but it has granted iXs Research Corporation permission to use the patent through a Kawasaki-area project encouraging major corporations to share intellectual property rights with small-to-medium-sized companies.
[Source: Mainichi]
Really smart on one side… But, Chucky-like on the other.
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Wreckless driving has always been one of my goals.
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Reminds me of A.I.’s Teddy.
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That would be great fro all the little old ladies driving around with stuffed animals in the rear windows
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I’d like to see a Howdie Doodie version. Or GI Joe for theyounger folks
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It’s RECKLESS driving, not wreckless. Aaaaargh. Why should I pay atention to an article written by someone who can’t manage to learn simple, common words?
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If I had one it would at pissed off at me all the time… I’ve turned reckless driving into an art
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Any one who has a wife does not need a robot telling him how to drive. I would have to throw this bear out the window and back over it. – the bull -
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It’s really like A.I Teddy
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When can we try it?
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