Robot popularity contest! Shibuya gals tell all

I have here in my hands a copy of Robot Life, a new Japanese magazine hot off the press. Well, it came out earlier this month but it's still toasty warm. It's a glossy, colorful zine full of humanoid robot pics, the remote-controlled creations of Tomotaka Takahashi (his Manoi is on the cover), ads by robot makers, and a manga comic strip by Tachiaoi Honda about a rather pathetic-looking robot buffalo discovered in the trash.

Published by Tokyo-based Nestage, Robot Life tips the scales at a respectable 140 pages. That's flyweight compared to the average phone directory-sized manga zine, but still an impressive debut. Aside from an interview with Takahashi, the first edition has profiles of all the latest humanoid and RC robots in Japan, a photo of the Danish ambassador hugging Paro the robot seal, and coverage of several robot soccer, combat and other tournaments.

What piqued my interest was a straw poll in which 500 people were asked to choose their fave robot out of ten candidates. Naturally it was done on the streets of Tokyo's hyper-hip Shibuya, a neighborhood perhaps best described as a Blade Runner set with about a trillion people thronging its neon tributaries. Young females, the arbiters of future fashion, are often polled there, and they seem to have been the only voters this time.

So who scored with the Japanese ladies? The results weren't surprising to this scribe. Manoi was outvoted in favor of the effete Wakamaru, ranking sixth to the bubble-head's third. But both got less love than top-ranked PaPeRo, a helpless-looking childcare machine from NEC, and Ifbot, a chatty chum for oldsters from Business Design Laboratory.

Analysis: The kawaii factor was decisive. Though some women had eyes for "muscular" bots like bottom-ranked Robonova, cuteness won the day. PaPeRo's candy color scheme and round lines proved more attractive than the most studly machines. This proves beyond doubt that when robots take over, they will be in the form of face-meltingly cute toys. We'll be the new playthings.

The complete robot popularity ranking from Robot Life:

1. PaPeRo
2. Ifbot
3. Wakamaru
4. Robofie VS-1
5. Nuvo
6. Manoi PF01
7. Vision Nexta
8. KHR-2HV
9. RB 1000
10. Robonova I

Charm from the barrel of a gun

Only the Japanese would try to make tanks cute.

Robot demiurge Tomotaka Takahashi has unveiled his latest creation: a four-legged, four-eyed lapis lazuli tank/walker with a squeaky voice and fawning manner. Oh, and it has machine guns.

Well, plastic ones.

Fans of Japanese anime will recognize the bot from the Ghost in the Shell franchise, specifically the "Stand Alone Complex" series. They're called Tachikoma and are car-sized roving droids controlled by artificial intelligences. They have rocket launchers and other arms. Basically the equivalent of "mobile, sentient Swiss Army knives."

I always knew knives that think were a must-have. But what I really want is an emotional can opener.

Takahashi's carbon-fiber Tachikoma doesn't have a brain and was made to promote the Ghost in the Shell DVD "Solid State Society" coming out in November from Bandai Visual. But check out its obsequious self-introduction in the videos here and here. Admit it -- it's the cutest robot spider thingy you've ever seen...outside of a nightmare.

Retrofitting the future

August is the month for remembering the past in Japan -- the end of World War II and the spirits of departed relatives in the Obon observances. But Japanese are also busily preparing for their collective robotic future, as seen in two recent news items.

The government formally announced its plan to honor promising robots, with technocrats in the super-powerful Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry establishing a Robot Award to distinguish machines that will be tomorrow's market leaders. There will be specific categories in the accolade to be presented at the end of the year, namely: robots made by small and midsize firms, service robots, industrial robots and specialty robots like rescue machines. Companies, schools and individuals can apply.

Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo said it has teamed up with seven firms including Toyota Motor and Matsushita Electric Industrial to develop next-generation service robots to help the elderly in a long-term project that will invest up to 1 billion yen annually. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will foot half the bill. Specific goals include robots that can tidy up a room by 2008, make beds by 2013, and carrying elderly people by 2016. Robots that can help old folks cross busy intersections is another goal. (The project is known as IRT, a meta-acronym for IT and RT, respectively information and robot technologies.)

No word yet on whether Toyota will be mass-producing companionbots for lonely oldsters.

"Are there female robots? Because the possibilities are limitless!"
Woody Allen, Sleeper

Domo arigato!

I love this video. Polysics is an exciting Tokyo new wave band inspired by Devo (check out the bot's ziggurat helmet). The original Styx tune and its concept album itself evokes Karel Capek's seminal 1921 play "R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)." But the unique aspect of this video is how it upends Japanese robot-as-hero conventions, with the machine running amuck from the film set and behaving quite naughtily -- even having a smoke after beating up some kids. Rock on, Polysics!

Fantastic plastic

How strong is your otaku kung-fu?

If it can take a 350,000 yen licking and keep on ticking, then you're ready for Bandai's latest and greatest must-have plastic - the Hyper Hybrid Model 1/12 RX-78-2 Gundam.

The umpteenth incarnation of the uber-popular Mobile Suit Gundam series title robot is a giant cut above the rest, standing 1.5 meters tall and tipping the scales at a hefty 35 kilograms. Zealot fans of Yoshiyuki Tomino's ongoing space opera will no doubt tingle with excitement at the prospect of spending four hours assembling the roughly 260 parts in the kit, which is to go on sale in December. This ne plus ultra plastic model features sound effects and 14 movable body parts, including flashing eyes that can be operated via remote control.

No doubt perfect for entertaining houseguests.