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September 20, 2005
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' New Robot
According to Mitsubishi, Wakamaru was designed by Mr. Toshiyuki Kita, who patterned the robot after a growing child. The name "wakamaru" derives from the childhood nickname of Minamoto Yoshitsune, a twelfth-century Japanese Samurai who engineered military victories that enabled his brother Yoritomo to gain control of Japan. The name is associated with "growth" and "development," the company says.
Wakamaru uses face recognition to identify up to ten people, including two that considers "owners." It uses speech recognition technology to identify 10,000 Japanese words. Speech synthesis capabilities include voice modulation and using gestures when speaking. It recognizes names given it by users, Mitsubishi says.
A panoramic top-of-head camera enables Wakamaru to identify its position in the house according to the ceiling. This camera also allows the robot to face others when speaking to them or being spoken to.
Wakamaru's claimed battery life is two hours, after which the robot returns to its charging station before power fails completely. It maintains Internet access and communications capabilities while charging, Mitsubishi says.
Posted by mslaybau at 02:47 PM | Comments (1)
September 08, 2005
When the Levee Breaks
Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, 1929
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break. If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break.
When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan. Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan.
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.
Don't it make you feel bad when you're tryin' to find your way home, you don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South they got no work to do, if you don't know about Chicago.
Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good.
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good.
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
All last night sat on the levee and moaned. All last night sat on the levee and moaned.
Thinkin' about my baby and my happy home.
Going, going to Chicago... Going to Chicago... Sorry but I can't take you...
Going down... going down now... going down....
Posted by mslaybau at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)