March 19, 2006
Japanese Robot Innovation - Blocks Attempted Slaps!
Metatron found this. I realize this is old (June, 2005), but I just couldn’t resist posting it. Here at the 2005 World Expo in Japan, an android was revealed to the delight of all. “Shown with co-creator Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University, the android is partially covered in skinlike silicone. Q1 is powered by a nearby air compressor, and has 31 points of articulation in its upper body.”
Most interesting about this android, is that one of its first programmed functions is to STOP PEOPLE FROM SLAPPING IT!!! 
You gotta be kidding me! Who decides that this is the ‘critical function’ needed prior to release? I just GOTTA see the R&D focus groups that led to this capability. I can just imagine the write-up of the study participant research report. I’m guessing it looked something like this:
“Surveys show that the primary action most study participants attempted in interacting with ‘Q1′ - codenamed, ‘Jenny Cyberchick,’ was to continually slap her while shouting, ‘On your knees, Bitch!’ This action had the unintended side effect of tipping over the android, which self-destructed in an electrical ball of fire, often causing undue harm to the study participants. Even worse, in the few instances when Jenny Cyberchick survived the fall, study participants commented that ‘She just didn’t struggle enough to stimulate me.’
To ensure a viable marketplace, the results of the participant study report indicates that prior to final delivery, we must give Jenny Cyberchick the capability to fight back! Or, um…we could teach her to kneel.”
But their functionality is not totally devoted to stopping people from slapping her. Apparently other study participants were interested in throwing objects at her as well - these too she can block. 
Comments
March 19, 2006
DannyV_El_Acme said:
And afterwards, she’ll be trained to catch the arm and throw you, Judo-style. And after that, she’ll just block the blow with her electromagnetic shield generator and blast you with a shot of hot plasma. I’m telling you, evil times are near!!
SFAM said:
No kidding! The actual development of a hot cyberchick kicking butt! At least now we know the background for that famous upcoming Fox TV special: “Fembots: When good cyberchicks go bad!” Turns out it that just like the first Rennaissance in the Animatrix, it was those baaad people that forced them to be bad.
DannyV_El_Acme said:
Yeah, really. Slapping her? What gives? Is that the scientist-creator-God complex at full drive or what!
March 20, 2006
Neuromancer said:
Teach her to kneel!
You can see that Japanese guy pondering the possibilities in the second picture. I know what he is thinking! “Hmmmm…wonder what uses i can find for a cute female robot-doll?”
DannyV_El_Acme said:
Nah, look at where he’s looking. I think he’s thinking: “You know, that robot has a cute ass…”
March 21, 2006
SFAM said:
I kind of agree with DannyV - he does seem to be checkin out the backside. Although, in keeping with the slapping functionality, I’m guessing he isn’t thinking about cuteness.
May 5, 2006
cyberpunkreview.com » Korea Can Create Hawt Android Chicks Too! said (pingback):
[…] Unlike the Japanese android chick, which seems to be designed to stop people from slapping her, this one actually seems to specialize in understanding communication and lifelike speaking. The human-sized robot can understand 400 words and make eye contact while talking via her lips that are synchronized with the pronunciation of words. […]
August 28, 2006
cyberpunkreview.com » Interview: Ben Steele, Director of Fragile Machine said (pingback):
[…] Ben Steele: Yeah, absolutely. This is definitely an increasing trend. In real life we’re getting closer to actually experiencing this. 100 years ago, people were already thinking about this, with Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, for instance, or Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) even when there was no chance of actually doing any of this. Now, it’s right around the corner. Examples are all around us, such as the very realistic android that came out of Japan recently. In the near-future, an android will be taking your ticket when you get on your plane ride. It will be fascinating to see how young artists in 50 years are dealing creatively with the technologies they’ve grown up with, ones which we can’t even conceive of today. And I would be very pleased if in my life robotics advances to the point where greater human interaction with them occurs. Asimos flipping burgers for example. […]
August 29, 2006
Netsui said:
I wonder 2 things about the slapping motion.
if this by design gave the viewer a visual in whch it could see the largest and most obvious articulation? “dramatic” for presentation purposes?
and
If it would be common sense to use the both large and singular major joint locations the upper shoulder and lower elbow are fairly large ball-joints to articulate around? where as the wrist has what 12 in which it revolves around?
September 6, 2006
Stormtrooper of Death said:
Some days ago i saw some special on Discovery Channel, about the use of robotics in nowaday warfare. They use robots to destroy landmines, and robots to shoot about 3000 bullets a minute (being used on flydeck ships), and robots that can be used as automatic tank-vehicles, with automatic gunfire, etc.
So, that would be a more drastic kind of a slap…
SFAM said:
Hi Netsui, I’m hoping the slapping thing was more based on something they could actually “do,” meaning the eyes were good enough to notice a movement and could block it. So yeah, it makes sense from a presentation standpoint I think.
Stormtrooper, yeah, there have definitely been some terrific robotic advances on the battlefield. I came across and article on this a few days ago. I should post it.
June 16, 2007
Thrasher said:
Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJZTWwy6eUw&mode=related&search=
I wonder whether the future will be ruled by all these chick-like Japanse androids!
March 17, 2009
gkijejghue said:
this retarded you gay fag