Cyberdyne Systems Toyota reportedly working on robots to look after the elderly

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:29:00 EST

We have an announcement to make: the Robot Apocalypse is not on its way. The Robot Apocalypse has officially begun. Toyota is working on a plethora of robots that will assist in caring for the elderly. Home health care is massively expensive and time consuming, and if the task were pawned off on taken over by robots, the "savings," as they're being called, would be huge.

Two of the robots in development can do things like play instruments and fetch things. One of the robots is a machine straight out of Aliens: a seat mounted on robotic legs and controlled by a joystick. It would allow the aged to go anywhere that robots can go... which is, really, anywhere. And once Toyota adds arms and battle axes, plus that dung-beetle-derived full-color night vision system, any elderly person able to move a joystick will immediately be the most powerful human alive. So we really might want to think about this...

The robots also have manufacturing uses, aided by Toyota's research into a wire-operation system to replace hydraulics and "adding limberness and speed to the motion." Toyota plans to have them working on the moon by 2020. Yes, the moon (from where they will launch their first attack in 2021). First the elderly. Then babies. Then... you. Human.

[Source Toyota via TG Daily]

~~Cyberdyne Systems~~ Toyota reportedly working on robots to look after the elderly originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Green, Japan, Videos, Toyota

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.

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