Energy ministers from the world’s biggest economies gathered in Japan earlier this month. They talked about grim topics like energy security. But they had one tiny thing to celebrate — the world’s smallest humanoid robot.
The Japanese hosts showed the ministers the 16.5-centimeter robot at dinner. Now they plan to send all 11 ministers a robot.
“With this, you won’t forget about me,” Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari said to laughter.
PHOTO: AFP
Canadian Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn picked up the tiny robot and called it “my new friend.”
The minister, who has two children, said he himself would play with it “all the time.”
The “i-Sobot” is made by Tomy Co. Ltd. It speaks English and is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest mass-produced humanoid.
The i-Sobot is able to make 200 physical movements, including somersaults. It speaks 180 words and responds to spoken commands.
Tomy spokeswoman Mei Kudo said that Japanese cartoons often show people and robots as buddies. She said i-Sobot carries on this tradition.
“It is a comical character that lies down and scratches its bottom,” she said.(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)
全球各主要經濟體的能源部長本月稍早齊聚日本,討論能源安全等令人憂心的議題。不過他們有件值得慶祝的小事物──全世界最小的人型機器人。
地主國日本在晚宴中向各國部長展示這個十六點五公分高的機器人;現在他們計畫將它送給十一位與會部長。
日本經濟產業大臣甘利明笑著說:「有了這個,你們就不會忘記我了。」
加拿大自然資源部部長蓋瑞.隆恩拿起這個迷你機器人,稱它是「我的新朋友」。
育有兩子的隆恩表示,他會「一天到晚」玩它。
這個由湯米株式會社製造的「愛秀寶機器人」會說英文,並獲得金氏世界紀錄認定為全世界最迷你的量產機器人。
愛秀寶機器人會做兩百種動作,其中包括翻筋斗;它會說一百八十個字詞,而且還可以聽口令做出動作。
湯米公司的女發言人工藤芽伊表示,日本卡通中的機器人通常是人類的好朋友,而愛秀寶機器人延續了這項傳統。
她說:「它還會臥倒和抓屁股,模樣相當逗趣。」(法新社�翻譯:袁星塵)
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