Hitachi's Robot Closer to Becoming Real-Life Assistant From: Associated Press - 11/23/2007 By: Yuri Kageyama Hitachi recently demonstrated the EMIEW 2, a small robot designed to be an office assistant. EMIEW 2 is capable of maneuvering on two wheeled legs or on four legs for better mobility, can recognize speech, and is small and light enough to be carried around by a person. The original EMIEW contained all the computer functions internally but was considered too heavy to safely coexist with humans in an office situation. EMIEW 2 wirelessly communicates with a computing unit to make the robot lighter, which caused some problems during a recent demonstration. A surge of wireless communications during the demonstration caused EMIEW 2 to lose contact with its computing unit and smash into a desk. Later, the robot was able to successfully complete the task it was attempting, but there was also another moment when the robot stood motionless for several moments. Developers of the robot acknowledge that kinks need to be worked out, particularly so it can receive wireless communications without interruption. "We are studying what hurdles need to be overcome to make robots practical," says Hitachi researcher Takashi Teramoto. Several Japanese companies have developed similar robots, including human-like robots developed by Honda and Toyota that are used to give tours at the automakers' facilities and the Aibo robotic dog developed by Sony. Read the entire article at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312420,00.html Links: Hitachi Mechanical Engineering Research laboratory http://www.hqrd.hitachi.co.jp/merle/emiew.cfm Hitachi unveils 'fastest robot' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4351639.stm Hitachi Develops a Robot that has the Capabilities for Daily Life and that Moves in Response to Dialogs with People http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/050315a.html EMIEW bot now able to mingle without maiming http://robots.engadget.com/2006/09/12/emiew-bot-now-able-to-mingle-without-maiming/ New Hitachi robot crashes during test run http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21916829/