Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

tiro

Piano player bot tickles the ivories in Taiwan

If you dig old-school player pianos, how about a pair of robotic hands that plays keyboard?

Visitors to the ongoing Taipei International Robot Show (TIROS) are getting an eyeful of a number of quirky robots, including a robot that uses 10 fingers to play tunes on a keyboard.

The bot is the work of Taiwan's Hiwin Technologies and can play complex melodies with its multiple digits. Hiwin makes ball screws and components such as linear motors, which were used in the keyboard player.

Hiwin reportedly said its player is the first to use 10 fingers to tickle the ivories. … Read more

Vote: Battle of the non-violent robots

Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of the battles here and vote on eight more first round battles here.

Complex as they are, most robots solve dilemmas in a basic way: they fight each other. Then Michael Bay films it, charges $10 a ticket, and everyone enjoys the marvelous robots-kicking-the-crap-out-of-each-other show.

But there are plenty of robots that have no appetite for destruction. What about these robots, ones that have to rely on personality, artifical wits, social skills, and dance moves in order to survive?

Even if they banded together, these robots couldn't fight their … Read more

Next thing you know, they'll be in Vegas

It's been months since our last update on the march toward a human-free society throughout parts of Asia, and we profusely apologize for this dereliction. We fear that, in our neglect, the robots have made significant advances.

Case in point: A South Korean bot known as "Tiro" has struck a blow that's psychological as well as symbolic, presiding as master of ceremonies at a wedding--of humans, no less. As if this weren't bad enough (and it is), the mechanical MC was joined by other bots that escorted guests and even gave provided life entertainment, … Read more