


Talking Bot

It looks a little like a 23rd-century kangaroo, but RIDC-01, from the Japanese robot maker Tmsuk, is one of the most ambitious examples of human mimicry ever. It's about 4 feet tall and runs on a 24-volt lithium ion battery that lasts two hours. And at 220 pounds, RIDC-01 is no lightweight.

The robot can recognize various human voices and speech, respond in conversational Japanese, and clean floors. A projector in its head can show DVD movies or information. Sensors let it intelligently stop and navigate around objects, and it interacts with other devices wirelessly through Wi-Fi. For a humanoid robot, though, the name is a bit of a disappointment; it's an acronym for the Robotics Industry Development Council.

RIDC-01 is one of a new crop of speech-smart robots. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' child-size Wakamaru robot recognizes about 10,000 words. Hitachi's EMIEW can recognize its master's voice.

You've been brushing up on your Japanese and want RIDC-01? You'll have to pony up about $85,000. That price is likely to make offices and malls the first typical locations for RIDC-01. Keep your eyes peeled in 2006 for an English-speaking version.

About Sebastian Rupley