A new Japanese robotics magazine, Robot Life, has polled 500 Japanese females to ask them who was their favorite commercial robot. The grand winner was the PaPeRo robot, pictured at left, built by NEC. Also making the top 10 list (though, at a dismal 10th), is our friend Robonova. Wakamaru and Manoi were also in the list. Judging from the list, it appears that young Japanese females prefer style over substance – any surprises here?

Here’s the complete list:

1. PaPeRo
2. Ifbot
3. Wakamaru
4. Robofie VS-1
5. Nuvo
6. Manoi PF01
7. Vision Nexta
8. KHR-2HV
9. RB 1000
10. Robonova I

I have to say, though, that I’m surprised Plen and Asimo didn’t make it on the list.

From Loving the Machine and Engadget

Related:

• Japanese Company to Rent Hello Kitty Robo and Ifbot
• Chinese Huitong Robot Does Swordplay!
• Wakamaru Is Coming to Live with an Elderly Japanese Near You!
• Robofie Will Give RoboNova a Run For Its Money
  
• World’s First Robot Department Store to Open in Japa
• e-Nuvo, Nuvo for Educators
• Take Servo Magaine’s Readers Survey and Enter to Win A RoboNova
• Kyosho Announces Manoi AT01
  
  

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Here’s a round-up of the latest news relating to Ugobe’s robotic dinosaur Pleo, courtesy of our sister-site, PleoBot.com.

• Exclusive ROBOT Magazine Interview with Pleo’s Makers

• Ugobe Announces Release Date for Pleo!

• Forbes Says Pleo One of 7 Robots That Will Change Your Life

• More News from Ugobe – Pleo Gets Vision

• Potential Pleo Packaging?

Our not-so-furry robotic friend seems to be taking shape. The move that baffles me the most is the addition of the camera to Pleo’s list of features. How is that supposed to work?



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It seems the Japanese are always one step ahead of us. This time it’s the opening of a combination robot museum and department store.

The store plans on stocking about 1,000 different robot goodies, and will feature the Nuvo robot as its main attraction. In order to create a market for its expensive products, the store plans on targeting 40 year-old men (with an overabundance of cash) and anime junkies.


You’d best buy that plane ticket now, as the store opens in October of 2006. You wouldn’t want to wait too long in order to purchase your robot themed cell phone strap.





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We’ve talked about robotic blimps before, but not for this kind of application. This time a Californian entrepreneur, Bob Jones,  is floating the idea of having large fleets of autonomous blimps provide wireless communication coverage for large areas. The blimps could take the place of both telecom towers on land and satellites orbiting the earth.

Jones is planning tests of a 1/5 scale blimp in the Mojave Desert later this month.


You can read more about the business plans on Sanswire’s website.



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It may be a very small snippet, but it’s still big news. In the closing paragraph in Forbes’ article on iRobot, for it’s 8th annual eGang report, it says, "Next comes a robot lawn mower and bigger military bots that can go faster and farther."

If it’s true, it will certainly make big waves. Thorn, at Robot Stock News, has more thoughts on this.



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