Posts in Future Tech

CyberCar

Juniper Foo | Dec 08, 2004

Fifteen European research centers have seen the future of motoring, and it is driverless. With 3,000 trial rides carried out successfully in the French town of Antibes, the CyberCar is slightly brainier than your autopilot airport cart, thanks to a pre-programmed route and a laser-sweeping device out front that avoids or stops at obstacles. Whether you're expected to get out and remove the offending hindrance isn't clear. But carjackers can kiss goodbye to nabbing this futuristic vehicle since there's no steering wheel to wrest control of. Then again, the golf cart-like CyberCar ain't no sweet-looking Toyota Lexus a la Minority Report.

Price: N.A.
Availability: Prototype
Device: Driverless car
Basic specs: N.A.

Filed under: Cars, Future Tech
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ifbot

Juniper Foo | Dec 07, 2004

It's hard enough getting our technophobic gramps to figure out the VCR Play button, let alone hug a hunka metallic programming. But that seems to be the name of the game for Nagoya-based Business Design Laboratory Co. Its 45cm-tall "cuddling robot" ifbot's prime directive is to keep the elderly calm and occupied with conversational responses, riddles and quizzes, thanks to tens of thousands of input dialog patterns that it draws on. Being lab-grown in Japan, ifbot is always mindful of being polite and respectful to its seniors. Ojisan (grandpops): "Oh oh! I just won first prize!!" ifbot: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today? " Ojisan: "Argh, my heart, my heart, somebody helppp..." ifbot: "Perhaps you are overtired. Why don't you rest today?"

Price: 604,800 yen (US$5,924)
Availability: Japan
Device: Robot
Basic specs: N.A.

Filed under: Future Tech
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