Tag: ‘Video’

‘Without records’ – Otomo Yoshihide

09 Oct 2008

What happens when you take the records away from record players? You get "without records," an installation by experimental musicians Otomo Yoshihide and Yasutomo Aoyama that uses more than 100 record-free turntables to explore the sound of disappearing technology.


"without records" - YCAM Otomo Yoshihide / ENSEMBLES

You also get the "hyper wr player," a four-armed hi-fi version of the concept.


"hyper wr player" - YCAM Otomo Yoshihide / ENSEMBLES

These installations are on display as part of the "ENSEMBLES" event at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM), which runs until October 13.

[Link: ENSEMBLES/Otomo Yoshihide]

Video: Chindogu master shows off inventions

06 Oct 2008

Chindogu master Kenji Kawakami demonstrated some of his celebrated "unuseless" inventions on a recent Nihon TV variety show.

Kawakami shows off the following chindogu: shoe umbrellas that keep your toes dry in the rain (but admittedly make it difficult to walk), the Driver-Drier golf club which lets you dry laundry while practicing your golf swing, a portable subway strap consisting of a ring attached to a toilet plunger that sticks to the ceiling of the train, pachinko ball collection shoes that let you inconspicuously pick up as many as 200 stray pachinko balls simply by walking around the parlor, and a comfortable cafe chair and table on wheels for coffee drinkers on the go.

[Video link]

Video: Human bobsled vs. motorcycle

03 Oct 2008

Buggy Rollin suit on Japanese TV --

Nihon TV recently aired dramatic footage of "Rollerman" Jean-Yves Blondeau in his BuggyRollin suit, racing Japanese celebrity biker George Takahashi down a mountain road. (See who wins.)

Studded with dozens of wheels, the full-body BuggyRollin suit transforms the wearer into a human luge that can reach speeds of up to 116 kph (70 mph) on steep slopes.

Optron: Brilliant instrument of noise

02 Oct 2008

Improv musician Atsuhiro Ito wields a flickering noise contraption called the "Optron" (or "Optrum"), a miked-up fluorescent light tube he plugs into an array of effects pedals and plays sort of like an electric guitar. The Optron is featured in some Sony Walkman commercials.


+ Optron - Walkman CM 1


+ Optron - Walkman CM 2 (with Yoichiro Shin on drums)

[More on YouTube: Atsuhiro Ito, Optrum, Optron]

‘Operation Capture Monkey’ in Harajuku

21 Aug 2008

One day after a wild Japanese macaque caused a commotion at Tokyo's Shibuya station and escaped back into the streets, police have received multiple reports of monkey sightings in the area.

According to this TBS video news report, which refers to the search effort as "Operation Capture Monkey," the Japanese macaque was observed at various locations in the Harajuku/Omotesando area near Shibuya early this morning. Police armed with nets roamed the streets of Omotesando after at least one person reported seeing the monkey climbing a pink building. Others reportedly witnessed it scurrying across power lines. In addition to the sightings, a local resident found tomatoes and eggplants missing from his garden. He believes the monkey was responsible.

Video: Monkey on the loose in Shibuya station

20 Aug 2008

Monkey on the loose in Shibuya --

***UPDATE: The monkey has been spotted in the Omotesando area.***

Police in Tokyo are on the lookout for a wild monkey on the loose in the Shibuya area. The monkey -- identified as a Japanese macaque -- was spotted inside Shibuya station this morning (August 20), much to the surprise of morning commuters. (Watch an NNN news report.)

According to the Tokyu Corporation, which operates the Tokyu Toyoko line at Shibuya station, a security officer spotted the monkey climbing around inside the station at 9:45 AM. When the monkey perched itself on a sign, police and station employees tried unsuccessfully to trap it with nets.

Monkey on the loose in Shibuya --

After an hours-long standoff, the monkey made a run for it through the crowded station. Police and curious onlookers took chase, but the monkey eluded them by crossing a busy street and climbing up along the Yamanote line tracks. Its whereabouts are now unknown.

City officials say there has been a rise in Tokyo-area monkey sightings in recent weeks. A monkey was spotted in Koganei on August 12, and sightings were reported at three locations in Setagaya ward on August 18.

[Source: Yahoo!]

ADDED: At least one eyewitness captured the chaotic scene on cellphone video...

...and here's some pretty amazing eyewitness video of the panic that ensues when the monkey makes a run for it...

...and AP has some clean, raw footage as well...

Circuit-bent Pikachu instruments

29 Jul 2008

Circuit-bent Pikachu instruments --

Circuit bender Kaseo has a marvelous collection of musical instruments built from modified Pikachu toys.

- Bent Pikachu Limited Edition: Punk's not dead.

* * * * *

- Y.M.O.: This "Y.M.O" (Yellow Mouse Orchestra), a group of MIDI-controlled circuit-bent Pikachus, performs a tweaked version of "Rydeen" by the original Y.M.O. (Yellow Magic Orchestra).

* * * * *

- 12 bent Pikachu orchestra +1: Live performance in Tokyo.

* * * * *

[Links: bEnt or diE?, Kaseo's Youtube channel]

Robot sea bream

25 Jul 2008

Robot sea bream --

Engineers at the University of Kitakyushu have developed an underwater survey robot that looks good enough to eat. "Tai-robot-kun," a 7-kilogram (15.4 lb) robotic sea bream (red snapper) with a silicone body covered in realistically hand-painted scales, features a unique propulsion system that allows it to move its tail and drift silently through the water like a real fish. (Watch a video.)

The robotic fish can swim for an hour on a full battery charge, and it relies on a ballast system similar to those used in submarines to adjust its buoyancy and depth.

Tai-robot-kun's creator, professor Ikuo Yamamoto, says the robot can easily be mass-produced, outfitted with various cameras and sensors, and released into the sea to perform a wide range of oceanographic survey tasks. He adds that because the robot swims silently and looks like a real fish, it would be able to gather data without alarming the creatures it encounters.

Yamamoto and his team are also reportedly developing a robotic manta ray that uses some of the same technology.

[Source: Robot Watch]

Video: Actroid stars in TV commercial

25 Jul 2008

Actroid female robot actress --

Actroid DER-2, Kokoro's uncannily lifelike fembot, has made her acting debut in a TV commercial for Kincho's Preshower UV insect repellent/sunscreen spray. Titled "The Woman Who Doesn't Rust," the 15-second commercial spot shows Actroid outdoors at a campground, where she recommends using Preshower because, as a female, her skin is important. After a few squirts of the spray, she cheerily adds, "Surprisingly, I don't rust." (Watch it.)

*** Updated with higher quality video ***

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