Bandai to debut Doraemon robot on its 30th TV anniversary

Juniper Foo | Jun 25, 2009

Look, no ears for Doraemon. These were apparently eaten off by rats! No wonder this blue cat despises rodents. (Credit: Bandai Japan)

Claws unsheathed. If you remember the Hello Kitty ROBO back when the pink feline celebrated her 30th anniversary, it looks like there may be a cat fight in the works. Doraemon, the cat-like robot from the 24th century, is about to get his own birthday bot for 30 years of TV anime. Bandai Japan's will unleash a 16cm-tall robot called, drum roll… "My Doraemon" [updated from "My robot"].

Here's where the one upmanship comes in. While ROBO sports a rather fixed stare and is mostly stationary, Doraemon employs Epaper eyes capable of expressing up to 10 different emotions. It also has a light, motion and infrared sensor to react to where it is, as well as a clock and temperature sensor that lets it respond with "good morning", "good night" and other preset sentences.

Slated for a September launch in Japan, it's a bit pricey at 31,500 yen (US$350) for such a tiny thing. Then again, anime fans of Doraemon probably know that this anniversary collectible will likely have a short run. Blink, and it's gone.

Love this submission from New Launches' dhiram who says it's not what you think. That's right, it's just the tail which doubles as a switch. (Credit: New Launches)