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Click above for high-res gallery of Toyota's Winglets

Toyota's bid to completely take over the world with robots is getting ever closer to fruition. Its latest endeavor is intended to place mankind on moving platforms -- very Segway-esque. Coming in Small, Medium and Large sizes, Toyota's Winglet places its riders in a standing position, likely to dissuade notions of the future portrayed in Pixar's recent Wall-E movie in which humans spent their time in more relaxed positions. Powered by an electric motor, the Winglet's two wheels are closely monitored by on-board sensors that constantly adjust the movements of the machine to keep everything upright. At just 6 kilometers per hour it ain't very vest and can't go too far with its 5-10 kilometer range, but it makes up for these issues by taking just one hour to charge. Testing is currently underway, with human trials expected to begin this Autumn in Japan. Presumably after that there'll be a version with handle bar-mounted guns that's able to round up humans in a pen. Check out the video of Toyota's winglet in action after the jump.

Gallery: Toyota Winglets


[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota reveals 'Winglet' assistance robots, Segways beware [w/VIDEO]

Toyota reveals 'Winglet' assistance robots, Segways beware [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>segwaytoyotatoyota robottoyota robotstoyota wingletToyotaRobotToyotaRobotsToyotaWingletwingletFri, 01 Aug 2008 12:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota develops violin-playing robot]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/06/toyota-develops-violin-playing-robot/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/06/toyota-develops-violin-playing-robot/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/06/toyota-develops-violin-playing-robot/#commentsFiled under: ,

Though Toyota sells a helluva lot more cars around the world than Honda, sometimes we think it suffers from an inferiority complex with its cross town rival. C'mon, in addition to cars, Honda makes jets, motorcycles, generators, lawn mowers and ASIMO, the creepy walking, running, dancing robot that we love to see fall down. Well, Toyota makes robots too, and it's just unveiled one with 17 joints in both of its hands and arms that can play the violin, a demonstration of the dexterity that can now be installed in our future robot overlords. No doubt in fifty years we'll be receiving lashes from robots that use this same technology to tightly grip and swing their whips when we slack off from mining unobtanium in Siberia. We can't wait, thanks a bunch Toyota. Did Terminator 2 teach us nothing?

At the same time, Toyota has also debuted a Mobility Robot that looks like a cross between a wheel chair and a gleaming white porcelain toilet. Its claim to fame is being able to follow a person, travel up 10-degree grades and avoiding obstacles. Sounds like all useful skills in the coming Robot Wars.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota develops violin-playing robot originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>toyota robotstoyota violin robotToyotaRobotsToyotaViolinRobotviolin playing robotviolin robotViolinPlayingRobotViolinRobotThu, 06 Dec 2007 17:58:00 EST