On December 18, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan has announced Takara Tomy’s i-Sobot as “Robot of the Year” for 2008. The award was established by METI in 2006 to promote civilian development and practical application of robots.
This year 65 were chosen to represent robots from the agriculture, construction and service industries and education. 8 robots were given the Excellence Award in the “Service Robot”, “Industrial Robot”, “Community/Frontier robot” and “Parts and Software” categories.
i-Sobot, winner of the Good Design Award in Japan and recognized as the smallest mass-produced humanoid robot by the Guinness World Records, stands just 16.5cm, weighs about 350 grams and is powered by 4 AA batteries for about 1 hour of operation. 17 miniature motors give it about 200 types of movements.
In giving the prize, the judges cite i-Sobot’s high technology, affordability (¥29,800 or about $335), general appeal and potential contribution to the field of entertainment as deciding factors.
{Link: IT Pro}
Recent Comments