Bouncing Red Ball

24 Jan, 2009

Design Factory’s retro Robot USB Hub

Posted by: brb In: Gadgets ()

I’ve just came back from K’s Denki scouting for some USB hubs to manage the increasing number of devices connected at the back of my iMac (keyboard and mouse, an external hard disk, a printer, and a number of camera and mobile phone cradles) when by coincidence I happen upon this cute retro-design robot that is actually a USB hub.

Hard plastic and stainless steel construction, this little robot, which looks like Robokon of yore, measures 98 x 95 x 40mm and weighs 107 grams. Although it can manage a total of 350mA of devices by itself, you can attach an adaptor (sold separately) for more power. The right hand and both feet are USB ports while the left hard functions as an LED light. All appendages can be moved freely. Cool, no?

That coolness comes at a price, though. USB hubs are usually designed to be easily hidden from view. This robot makes you want to display it and with all your USB devices attached it doesn’t really reduce clutter.

2,800 yen (about $31) from Design Factory. Available in black and red.

Related posts:

  1. New cellphone-controllable security guard robot Tmsuk T-34 spiderwebs intruders
  2. iPhone meets Denso robotic arm, coolness ensues
  3. i-Sobot wins Japan’s Robot of the Year award
  4. Robo Japan 2008: Robo-Q, the world’s smallest robot
  5. Robo Japan 2008: Bandai’s NetTansorWeb, the first robot blogger

2 Responses to "Design Factory’s retro Robot USB Hub"

1 | CP

January 26th, 2009 at 12:12 am

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haayyy…I miss the denki shops, akihabara and shinjuku…

2 | Regina

December 14th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

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Its very cute design. Its the good one…:-)

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About Bouncing Red Ball

This blog is about robots, gadgets, travel and hiking. In Japan.

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