Sexy Robot of the Week - HRP-4C - Aug 2nd

So what happens when the brilliant (and lonely) scientists at AIST (Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) put their minds together?  Exactly what you would expect.... they make a female robot.

 I introduce HRP-4C (a name just teeming with raw sexuality... I'll call her Herp for short).

As if Tim Gunn whispered "make it work" to the engineers, Herp was designed in 2008 to strut the catwalk at fashion shows.  That's right, forget manufacturing... forget assisting the impaired... forget remote surgical procedures...  like an extra from Zoolander who was left on the cutting room floor, Herp's sole purpose was to give new meaning to "Blue Steel".

Now I realize that my Japanese language skills are not the greatest, but deep down inside I want to believe the designer is saying something like:

My friends thought I was crazy.  But who's crazy now?  She's mine, all mine.  It's not all about you anymore mother...  now it's Normansan's turn.

With a development price tag of $2,000,000 (US), 30 motors in the body, and 8 more motors just for her facial expressions; the designer deserves to be proud of his creation.  I have no doubt that they will be happy together in Tokyo's new subdivision of Stepford.  But could Herp ever be content as a stay at home spouse?  Certainly not.

As with most runway models, Herp had aspirations.  Like many before her, she wanted to leave the runway and become a pop sensation.  And pop she did.  With the help of a professional choreographer and four backup dancers, Herp took Tokyo's Digital Content Expo by storm.

Here is another perspective of this impressive dance routine filmed with a Fuji Finepix REAL 3D W1 digital camera.  Note: If you do not have a 3D monitor, you can cross your eyes (like I do) to see the 3D effect.  If you are unable to cross your eyes, you can turn off this feature and view it in two dimensions.

Herp has the ability to listen and interpret phrases.  And in 2009 thanks to Yamaha's Vocaloid, Herp finally had voice synthesis.  She is not playing prerecorded phrases, but rather articulating sentences in real-time in response to the world around her.  And after a year of development, AIST has developed their own voice processor for an even more natural human sound as demonstrated in this DigInfo video.

Now for all of you geeks out there who have already told your mom that she can have her bonus room back and started packing up your Star Wars collectibles, Herp may be out of your league.  Not only is she a worldwide phenomenon, she comes with a price tag of around $200,000 (US).  For that much dough, a geek can buy a lot of Mountain Dew and Doritos... plus don't underestimate the potential of making an awkward situation even worse by proudly proclaiming, "I have the Herp!!! I have the Herp!!!"

(Public Service Announcement.  If you decide to learn more about the robot, make sure to Google her full name, HRP-4C.)

Still $199,995 short,
-The Chief Geek