NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE robotic appliances at least).
Most robot developers believe that
Tony McNicol
Companies all over the world are developing robots that
understand the commands, distinguish human voices and faces,
and connect themselves to the Internet, even biped robots that can
amble around a family home. Japan, the world’s leader in the
manufacture and use of industrial robotics, is already several
steps ahead. What else would you expect in a country brought up
on Doraemon and Astro Boy?
Researchers are working hard to find a market for
humanoid industrial robots, but even the most optimistic say they
could take decades to arrive.
There is a limit to how much people would pay for a toy,
but home robots might soon start to take over the functions of a
personal computer. Developing the hardware and software to
perform useful physical work in the factory or home is a long way
of. On the other hand, finding information on the internet or
sending e-mail could relatively easy work. After all, what’s a robot
if not just a PC on legs? And entertainment could just be the start.
Amagao Satoshi, president of Sony’s Entertainment
Robot Company, says that interaction between robots and
humans is crucial.
“We are trying to develop a two-way relationship. We
think that that’s a key factor of our entertainment robots.”
Sony’s humanoid robot QRIO is one of a gang of walking,
talking, humanoids robots competing energetically for the public’s
attention. In 2004, Sony had developed technology that allowed
the robot to run; a world-first according to the company.
Sony engineer Ishida Tatsuzo says that QRIO needs
brains and brawn to be an entertainer. “There are two main target
areas for development: one is communications, like speech
recognition, another is dynamic motion technologies, dancing or
sports like soccer.
Another well-known humanoid robot is PINO, originally
create by Kitano Symbiotic Systems, a government-funded
research project led by Kitano Hiroaki. The robot is on sale to
research institutions and anyone else with pockets deep enough
for the 4,500,000 yen (42,000 dollars) price tag.
Toy pet robots already available in Japan range from
Omron’s robot cat (NeCoRo); to Tomy’s small voice-activated toy
“Micro-pets,” to Primopuel, a half baby, half furry animal creature
that proved a surprise hit with single young women.
The craze for interactive robots probably dated back to
the Tamagochi toy of the mid-1990’s, a kind of hand-held digital
pet. These toys have also been dubbed “iyashi-kei” (comforting-
type), supposedly because of their ability to help soothe the
stresses of everyday life.
We can expect entertainment robots to be the first
commonplace home robots (among robotic creatures, rather than
humanoid robots that can do useful physical work are still decades
away. And would they be safe? Any humanoid robot big enough
to help around the house would probably weigh as much as a
human. What would happen if it tripped over?
The popularity of pet robots will depend on their cost, as
well as how entertaining they are; but there is also a practical side
to the fun. Ishida says that Sony wants QRIO and AIBO to link up,
and share information with all their other products giving the robots
an important role in managing information in the home. Je believes
that the robots could eventually replace the PC by becoming a
user-friendly (literally!)Interface. Once entertainment robots are
useful as well as cute, Japan could see the birth of a whole new
customer market.
Source: Not Just a Pretty Face. Look Japan, March 2004.
General Statement- represents a major or main idea of a reading
material. It is also referred to as the main idea or topic in a
paragraph.
Specific Statement- refers to a specific or particular statement in
a reading selection. It is also known as supporting idea or topic in
a paragraph.
I. Determine whether the following is GENERAL or SPECIFIC
statement.
1. Companies all over the world are developing robots that can
amble around a family home.
2. Japan, the world’s leader in the manufacture and use of
industrial robotics, is already several steps ahead.
3. Researchers are working hard to find a market for humanoid
industrial robots.
4. There is a limit to how much people would pay for a toy, but
home robots might soon start to take over the functions of a
personal computer.
5. Developing the hardware and software to perform useful
physical work in the factory or home is a long way of.
6. Finding information on the internet or sending e-mail could
relatively easy work.
7. The interaction between robots and humans is crucial.
8. Sony developed technology that allowed the robot to run; a
world-first according to the company.
9. Sony’s humanoid robot QRIO is one of a gang of walking,
talking, humanoids robots competing energetically for the public’s
attention.
10. There are two main target areas for development: one is
communications and another is dynamic motion technologies.
11. The craze for interactive robots probably dated back to the
Tamagochi toy of the mid-1990.
12. These toys have also been dubbed “iyashi-kei” (comforting-
type), supposedly because of their ability to help soothe the
Not Just a Pretty Face Understand
stresses of everyday life.
commands
13. We can expect entertainment robots to be the first
commonplace home robots Primopuel Tomy’s small
voice-activated
14. Most robot developers believe that humanoid robots that can
do useful physical work are still decades away. Toy pet robots Humanoid
Robots
15. The popularity of pet robots will depend on their cost, as well
as how entertaining they are; but there is also a practical side to PINO Connect
the fun. themselves to Internet
II. Summarize the passage about “Not Just a Pretty Face” in the Characteristics of Robot Areas for
form of an outline. The students will supply the missing information Development
through choosing in the box.

_____________________________________

. Companies all over the world are developing robots

____________________________________
_________________________________
Distinguish human voices and faces
_________________________________
Biped robots around family home
_______________________________________
QRIO
1.___________________________________
1.1 Communications
1.2 Dynamic motion technologies
B. __________________
C. __________________
1. Omron’s robot cat
2. ___________________________
3. ___________________________
4. Tamagochi