So the Skitterbot is a slightly creepy, mostly cool little remote control robot that’s being advertised as “the world’s fastest legged micro-robotic toy”. The Skitterbot is available in four different colors, each representing a different frequency so you can race, battle, or just torment your cat with them. I like the fact that they charge off of a USB port, and are quite… → Read More
The so-called Fukitorimushi (“wipe-up bug” in Japanese), a cleaning robot of a very special kind, has been around for quite a while now. But what was showcased recently during a tech exhibition in Tokyo was the newest version. And the thing is still creepy as hell. → Read More
Do you remember that creepy ‘Hug Me’ pillow? Did you see that and think “Oh man, that’s perfect for me, but what about my newborn infant?” Relax, parents of the world, the Zaky pillow is here! → Read More
If you thought you have seen your share of creepy Japanese robots, think again. During last week’s Tokyo International Gift Show Spring, a robot venture called Little Island showcased their Sokkuri Werukamu Robotto [JP], little robots that look just like you or whoever you want them to look like. And the best thing is Non-Japanese can order them, too. → Read More
If you’ve been holding out for the weird one-armed “Hug Me Pillow” to drop from a lofty $44.95 down to a more manageable $29.99 then you, my friend, are in luck. → Read More
“Crawling is the soldier’s motion in the battlefield. I would say this is the business soldier,” says performance artist Momoyo Torimitsu as she lets her robotic middle manager make everyone on a busy Australian street feel uncomfortable. “The battery-powered robot is supposed to symbolise the Asian economic crash and Japan’s rigid ‘salaryman’ culture.” Diagonal View [via DVICE] → Read More
Oh, DARPA. Everything you touch turns to semi-gold. Really, though — DARPA is great because they throw money at practically every cool new technology and even if it doesn’t turn into a neat gun, the residual advances from studying it often yield other interesting technologies. These daysthey’re looking into terahertz waves, those knicker-viewers the Brits were into a few months… → Read More
Look, I’m not going to say I was a total perv when I was in my formative years, but I will admit that it was a very, very good thing that toys like this didn’t exist when I was 13 or else I would have turned out far different, perhaps for the better. It’s a full-funtion RV car with an embedded VGA camera that streams the camera’s feed wirelessly to a pair of included… → Read More
Working in retail is hard work, especially in the electronics field, but sometimes your interactions with people on a daily basis lead to new relationships. I worked at a big box retailer for about three years and got many dates out of it, though it wasn’t appropriate at all. The key is, though, to know when it’s OK and when it’s not OK to ask a customer on a date, and how to go… → Read More
Yeah, that’s not freaky at all. This weird robot-potato-human hybrid (there’s a hidden operator) is a first among Disney’s robots, as it is able to form the shapes of words with its mouth. Just a few more steps to fully functioning Cylons! The ride, Toy Story Mania, is super high-tech with lots of audience interaction and advanced technology which Mr. Potato Head embodies most… → Read More
It wouldn’t be right of me to know about this excessively creepy 3D mouse-following Flash lady and not share it with all of you. If I must suffer, you must suffer. That is the price you pay for my genius. This will sort of blow your mind a little bit. You’re welcome. → Read More
BigDog, the unbelievably creepy/impressive mule-bot from Boston Dynamics, made a bit of a splash earlier this week. But people seem to have forgotten its modest younger brother, the LittleDog. Unlike its sibling, this one has an identifiable head and tail, and doesn’t move in a way that will haunt your dreams for years. Kind of cute, actually. Imagine hundreds of these things bringing donuts… → Read More
http://progressive.playstream.com/playstream/progressive/flashplayers/FLVPlayer.swf A friend sent this to me and I’m not exactly sure what to think of it. Part of me enjoys watching old videos like this and seeing what’s come to fruition and what ideas are still being thrown around some 50 years later. Then the other part of me is just creeped out at how subservient the women in this video are… → Read More
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