Crikey. "Sony Develops Small Biped Entertainment Robot With Ability to Adopt Its Movement to a Variety of Situations and Offering Rich Communication."
Including:
3. Conversation, performance control technology based on its short-term and long-term memory. In addition to short-term memory functions to temporary memorize individuals and objects, SDR-4X is equipped with long-term memory functions to memorize faces and names through more in-depth communications with people. Emotional information based on a communication experience will be memorized on a long-term memory as well. By utilizing both short and long-term memories, the SDR-4X achieves more complicated conversations and performances.
4. Speech synthesis and singing voice production
– High level of entertainment by emotionally expressive speech and voice production synchronized with full body performance
– Capability to produce singing voice with vibratos through voice synthesis by inputting music and lyric data.
Bonkers. But great! Make sure you check the video clips.
Also, Sony carefully note:
"5) Safe design for interaction with people"
… but don’t say whether they’ve followed Asimov’s Laws of Robotics.
[via Chris Jones – thanks!]
Meanwhile, back in the real, here-and-now, world, Apple have released a new 10gb iPod.
[via ipoding.com]