HRP-4C, a female humanoid robot created by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), made her first professional runway appearance at a fashion show in Osaka today.

Here comes the robot bride — HRP-4C models a wedding dress

The chic robot, who stands 158 centimeters (5 ft 2 in) tall and weighs 43 kilograms (95 lbs) with her batteries installed, wore a wedding dress by designer Yumi Katsura.

Although much less hurried than her flesh-and-bone catwalk peers, the HRP-4C strolled smoothly up and down the 10-meter runway, struck various poses, and gazed sidelong at the delighted audience.

The positive response of the crowd shows the robot may have a future in entertainment, just as her creators suggested at her unveiling in March. At that event, they claimed HRP-4C’s realistic looks had the potential to draw crowds at amusement parks and promotional events.

Developer Kazuhito Yokoi, who appeared at today’s fashion show in a tuxedo, expressed his wishes for the robot’s future. “We hope she can work in fashion and entertainment,” he said, staring pensively at the stage.

Then, as if seeing his creation in a bridal gown had stirred his emotions, he added, “Like the father of a bride, I feel both happy and sad.”

[Source: Chunichi]

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Japan’s Himawari-7 (a.k.a. MTSAT-2) weather satellite has beamed back a series of images of Earth captured during the solar eclipse earlier today. Taken at 15-minute intervals from an altitude of 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles), the satellite images show the dark shadow of the Moon racing east across Asia and into the Pacific.

[Images via Japan Meteorological Agency]

Later this morning in Asia, people from India to Japan to Kiribati will turn to the sky for a glimpse of the total solar eclipse.

After appearing at dawn in India’s Gulf of Khambhat, the Moon’s shadow will sweep across Asia and the South Pacific, covering approximately 15,200 kilometers (9,500 miles) in about 3.5 hours before disappearing near the Marshall Islands.

In parts of the Pacific, the duration of the total darkness will last up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds, making it the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. The next one of this duration will not occur until June 13, 2132.

For those unable to view the eclipse in person, here are a few places to catch it online (times are indicated in JST, GMT, and EST):

- Live Eclipse 2009 (China/ Japan/ Kiribati): iPhone-friendly webcast, live from three separate locations. Finished.

- NHK (Akusekijima/ Yakushima/ Boat in Pacific/ Iwo Jima): Scheduled to broadcast from 10:30 to 11:45 AM JST (1:30-2:45 AM GMT // 9:30-10:45 PM EST) from four locations. Finished.

- RKK Kumamoto Eclipse Live (Kumamoto, Japan): Scheduled to go live at 9:30 AM JST (12:30 AM GMT // 8:30 PM EST) – Finished.

- SAROS.ORG – Live Astronomy Webcast (China) – Finished.

- Atlas Post (China): Broadcasting from 9:20 to 19:00 AM JST (12:20-2:00 AM GMT // 8:20-10:00 PM EST) – Finished.

- University of North Dakota (Wuhan, China) – Finished.

- TV news broadcast from India: Finished.

- CCTV-4 (China): Finished.

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For a few moments, the solar eclipse peeked through the clouds over Tokyo.

Partial solar eclipse over Tokyo (11:07 AM) [Enlarge]

Partial solar eclipse over Tokyo (11:07 AM)

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In case you missed it, here’s some NHK footage of the eclipse over Japan’s southern islands.

Here’s a peek at some of the forthcoming T-shirt designs spawned by the rumored collaboration between legendary Tokyo streetwear brand BAPE (A Bathing Ape) and the Pokemon media empire.

[Via: World Famous Design Junkies]

Prolific Meiji-period artist Kawanabe Ky?sai (1831-1889), well-known in the West for his darkly humorous illustrations, was commissioned by Scottish surgeon and Japanese art collector William Anderson (1842-1900) to produce a large number of comic paintings in the 1870s. Anderson’s collection, which today forms the core of the Japanese paintings at the British Museum, included the handful of fanciful depictions of hell shown below. (Click the “+” under each image to enlarge.)

Torture in Hell [+]

Enma, King of Hell [+]

Enma’s Judgment [+]

Protest to Enma [+]

Burning at the Stake [+]

Monster Assault [+]

Pandora’s Box [+]

Bashing a Monster into the Ground [+]

Monster Battle [+]

Hawk Counterattack [+]

Retribution: Animals vs. Man [+]

Retribution: Mice vs. Cat [+]

Electromagnetism leaking through the floor of a Kobe train causes paperclips to dance. (Watch video.)

The video — shot on the Rokko Liner in Kobe, Japan — shows how paperclips on the floor react when the train accelerates and decelerates. The magnetic pull, which is produced by the electric current that drives the motors located under the floor, apparently poses no harm to the human body, though it could damage credit cards, mobile phones, or other electronic devices if left on the floor. The Kobe New Transit Company, which operates the Rokko Liner (as well as the Port Liner, which uses similar trains), says extra shielding is being installed for good measure.

[Source: Kobe Shimbun via Watashi to Tokyo]

Engineers from Osaka University hope the lovable Wakamaru robot — a high-tech android designed for domestic and office work by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — can breathe new life into an age-old tradition. The bug-eyed yellow robot is being prepared for participation in the dramatic Osaka Tenjin Festival, an enormous 1000-year-old event that runs through the streets and rivers of Osaka each July.

In addition to dressing the robot in a costume fit for samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune (a.k.a. “Ushiwakamaru,” Wakamaru’s namesake), the engineers are teaching the robot how to perform the Osaka-jime, the festival’s customary rallying call and clap. Wakamaru, who will play cheerleader during the festival’s boat parade on the Okawa River on July 25, will act as a modern-day version of the traditional omukae ningyo (”greeting doll”) — a type of doll that parishioners used to place on their festival boats to greet the floating Shinto shrines as they drifted past.

Professor Satoshi Kinsui, who heads the Osaka University Center for the Study of Communication-Design, says, “We hope Wakamaru can liven up the festival with a splendid performance.”

[Source: Yomiuri]

Unfortunately, the stylish denim face masks pictured in these old Wrangler ads (designed by Tycoon Graphics) are not available at the local department store.

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Via KomadoriBrothers comes a stellar pair of action-packed doll animations shot in glorious 8mm.

“CAT’s EYE PV by Japanese BARBIE” (Hirofumi Okamura, 1984) stars Licca-chan (a.k.a. “Japanese Barbie”) in a riveting short film set to the theme song from the early-80s anime Cat’s Eye.

And “Sailor-suited Fighter NANAMI-chan” (Satoshi Imai, 1988) kicks it up a notch with spectacular special effects and epic battles against Kuidaore Taro (Osaka’s iconic clown mannequin) and a giant crab ship piloted by foreign invaders.

A 3-millimeter-thick digital booth babe is drawing double-takes in Tokyo.

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Spotted at the International Stationery and Office Products Fair, this eye-catching digital signage system consists of a 0.3-millimeter-thick high-luminance rear-projection film (Vikuiti Rear Projection Film developed by 3M) applied to a 3-millimeter-thick glass substrate cut into the shape of a woman. A rear projector beams video onto the film, whose microbead-arrayed surface produces a crisp, brilliant image viewable from any angle, even in brightly lit environments.

[Source: Robot Watch]