Telenoid R1 is a casper look-alike with nothing but good intentions, and a squirmy, jerking body that sends waves of revulsion down anyone’s spine. This robot is meant to be therapeutic; it was literally created to help people “hug it out”. Really? Really.
Telenoid R1 isn’t the only robot to miss the mark. An army of companion robots grace the world’s technical conferences, haunting the conference rooms and echoey hallways with lurching gaits and faces just human enough to be wrong. Don’t believe me? Take a look… and I rest assured you’ll agree that the robots featured here are far from comforting.
It’s a sad day when you just want to drop $20 on a flick, some over-priced candy, and a gallon of soda, but you can’t even find one film you can justify wasting 2 hours on. About the 5th time this happened, I’d had enough.
Movies used to be better, right? There seem to have been about the same number of Oscar winners, but not nearly as many decent films in the last few years. I decided to crunch some numbers. And for someone with a strictly math-free diet, whose throat will swell closed at the mere mention of an integer, this meant something. I ignored the hives bubbling up on my fingers as I pounded the keys on my calculator. I hunched over my computer and did horrendously un-scientific research. And after hours at the computer on a Friday night random weekday, the results were in.
Gundam, Japanese for “Human Eater,” describes a series of gigantic pagan statues erected to honor our future masters. These steel replicas, made in the shape of man, have the hearts of the coldest machine living 4 miles underground.
Gawk at the size and splendor of these magnificent creations! Watch as they hypnotize you with their power! Stare solemnly at their leaden feet with the knowledge that one day they will move, and your nickname will become “smushy.” Continue reading »
Japanese culture is weird. The Japanese manage to simultaneously rock the stereotypes of the salaryman, the creepy pervert, and the avant garde fashionista. Despite being at the forefront of future-tech, they still celebrate obesity in a ring of magical battle. The Japanese: wise in the ways of the force and still able to create robots that do just about anything.
Where but Japan can you watch a holographic girl sing in a sold-out rock concert, and then buy used underwear in a vending machine on the way home? Let’s dig deeper into this mystical country… Continue reading »
