On March 6 in Osaka, Japan, Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) unveiled a mini-robot driven by a small wristwatch motor.
The two-wheeled robot — called “Eco-Be!” — is 1.8 cm wide and 2.5 cm tall and is operated via infrared remote control.
At the unveiling, the tiny robot demonstrated the ability to move forward and backward, as […]

NEC, NEC Design and SGI Japan have teamed up to develop KOTOHANA, flower-shaped terminals that use LED light to remotely communicate human emotions.
Each KOTOHANA set consists of two flower-shaped terminals equipped with LEDs that change color according to the emotions of the person who owns the counterpart. Each flower contains a microphone that captures voice […]

Cosmetics giant Kao has developed a “multi-perspective image analysis system” that captures facial images from a variety of angles and under various lighting conditions, for the purpose of analyzing skin characteristics such as tone and sheen. The system’s ability to perform detailed analysis of make-up finish means it will likely play a role in cosmetic […]

A robot modeled after Maetel, the heroine of Leiji Matusmoto’s legendary Galaxy Express 999 (Gingatetsudo 999) anime, will go to work as a guide at the New Kitakyushu Airport, which is scheduled to open on March 16. The android was unveiled on February 28.
The 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall Maetel, who was developed […]