Control a Robot Dinosaur with your Pocket PC!

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/001250.html' target='_blank'>http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/001250.html</a><br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040405_banryu_hires.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040405_banryu.gif" /></a><br /><span>Click for hi-res photo!</span><br /><br />I don't know about you, but I was thinking to myself just last week, "Self, why are there no robot dinosaurs that I can control with my Pocket PC?" Sensing the desperate need in the market for such a product, Sanyo has updated their "Banryu" guard robot with just this functionality! As an added bonus, it can tell you what the stars fortell as well! I can see it now: "Gemini - Your cat will be menaced by a robot today". :mrgreen: <br /><br />Dottocomu reports that "the latest version is an independent Sanyo project, with modifications including switching from Windows to a proprietary realtime OS and revamping the beast's legs, in cooperation with Waseda University, to get it walking less like an old man. The new version also adopts a more diplodocus-like form and takes a step away from the original crime prevention concept, offering crowd-pleasing features like better speech recognition and the ability to give quizzes and forecast horoscopes.<br /><br />Weighing 36 kg and measuring 68 x 80 x 94 cm, the latest Banryu can handle steps up to 10 cm in height, and features a variety of sound, object and temperature sensors. It can also be controlled, like everything else recently, via an NTT DoCoMo FOMA phone or using a wireless LAN-equipped PDA." There's no word yet on when Pocket PC drivers will be available.<br /><br />Alas, you can't buy one of these neo-Jurassic beauties: "The latest Banryu will apparently be available to rent in Japan from April 9. One day's rental is Y239,400." That's roughly $2,300 for one day. 8O

[JonnoB]

Sure, why not - I was going to rent a movie at Blockbuster, but this sounds like more fun. Only a few bucks different.

[ctmagnus]

Does the blue one do Bluetooth? ;)

[R K]

Sure, why not - I was going to rent a movie at Blockbuster, but this sounds like more fun. Only a few bucks different.
Does the blue one do Bluetooth? ;)

Heh, I like a community with a sense of humor.

[OSUKid7]

There's no word yet on when Pocket PC drivers will be available.
Then why is the title of this news item Control a Robot Dinosaur with your Pocket PC!? Kinda deceiving. :|

[quidproquo]

For that price who is controling who!? Looks more like they control your wallet! (if you rent one of these things!) :wink:

[Pat Logsdon]

There's no word yet on when Pocket PC drivers will be available.
Then why is the title of this news item Control a Robot Dinosaur with your Pocket PC!? Kinda deceiving. :|
I didn't mean for it to be deceiving - the quote from Sanyo's press release says "wireless LAN-equipped PDA" - it's just a matter of writing drivers. I hope this doesn't stop you from renting one the next time you're in Japan. :wink:

[jngold_me]

I'd rather get an Aibo - cheaper and at least it would be mine! :mrgreen:

[JoshB]

That thing is huge! From the photo, I was thinking it would be a little toy, maybe 6 to 8 inches.

36Kg? It would be more like ""Gemini - Your cat will be menaced^H^H^H^H^H^H^H crushed to death by a robot today".

:D

[Zack Mahdavi]

For that price who is controling who!? Looks more like they control your wallet! (if you rent one of these things!) :wink:

Hehehe.. yeah... I agree.. better pay the $20 for SPB Finance if you buy one of these! :)

[dMores]

I don't know about you, but I was thinking to myself just last week, "Self, why are there no robot dinosaurs that I can control with my Pocket PC?"
hahaha :) that just made me crack up :) :)

[rocky_raher]

I don't know about you, but I was thinking to myself just last week, "Self, why are there no robot dinosaurs that I can control with my Pocket PC?"

If you really want to control a dinosaur with your PPC, get one of the software packages that enable you to control a desktop from a PPC, and install it on an IBM-XT running Windows 3.0.