Toyota bot says no to violence, yes to violins

Honda's Asimo may be Crave's reigning top-ranked nonviolent robot, but it now has some new, (un)fierce competition from Toyota.

Three big competitors, actually. Toyota demoed all of them during a press event in Tokyo today. CNET News.com has a photo gallery of the robots here.

The most visually impressive is its smooth, eponymous violin-playing robot. According to The Sun, the robot has 17 joints in its arms and hands alone, powered by some serious servomotor action.

Also on display were the Mobina, a wheelchair-like robot equipped with independent suspension for each wheel, and Robina, a three-fingered "Partner Robot" that is already being used as a guide in Toyota's headquarters, according to the AP.

YouTube has a clip of the violin-playing robot and Mobina in action, viewable below.

[Via Akihabara News.]

[Clownzilla]

Wolf In Sheeps Clothing

Well, nobody likes violence, but I can GUARANTEE that Toyota along with other robot researchers has robot projects slated for military use. It might be under wraps, but Japan will not be able to just sit there forever with China, North Korea, and The Soviet Union Part 2 knocking at their door.