Japanese Robots Gather for Epic Dance Battle

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Japanese Robots Gather for Epic Dance Battle


Humanity's dancing skills just got served by a bunch of tiny Japanese robots.

Quite frankly, the new wave of dancing competition shows on television bores me. If the participants in these shows were say, robots, maybe I'd be a little more interested. Japan agrees wholeheartedly, as evidenced by its recent Robot Japan Zero dance competition, .

Robot Japan Zero is a "robot dance and fight competition" that allowed Japanese roboticists to pit their creations against each other in both 1-on-1 combat and dance battles. The robots brought to the competition were not only impressive feats of mechanical construction, but they also had some sweet moves.

Anthropomorphic cat robot (above) is the master of hand... er, paw movements. Cat-girl below gets more sassy with it.


Another roboticist went classical, creating a dancer in traditional garb that uses fans.


As for the "fight" portion of Robot Japan Zero, one battle put what looks like a fencing penguin against an agile bug-man-thing. They basically fall over a lot, but the most impressive part is how these guys just get right back up.


The potential of robots to take over the world could be greatly exaggerated, because these guys don't appear to have very powerful combat skills. I think a good football kick would take them out in about a second. If anything, it's more likely that robot dancers will shame us with how much better they can pop it and lock it.

Source: PopSci [http://www.plasticpals.com/?p=26656#more-26656]

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Gigaguy64

Special Zero Unit
Apr 22, 2009
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Holy crap....this is freaking epic!
The second video had me rolling.
And the last video is just too funny.

But i am honestly amazed at how well the Robots moved.
The first video looked almost natural.

Though id keep an eye on this.
First, they win their way into our hearts with song and dance.
Then the invasion begins....
 

Worgen

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Apr 1, 2009
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Whatever, just wash your hands.
holy shit, I didnt realize robots had reached that level of dance technology.... now humans dont stand a chance against them on the dance floor
 

Trivun

Stabat mater dolorosa
Dec 13, 2008
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I just realised that the song for Number Two is the theme to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Relatively obscure Japanese anime references FTW!

Oh, and also, it seems we won't just be getting Skynet soon, but the Terminators will be dancing to our doom. Huh. Didn't see that one coming...
 

chickenlord

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May 14, 2008
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...this is why im not afraid of robots taking over the world... we've got our best bi-pedal robot engineers making them fucking dance instead of doing something useful!!!

OT: the cat robot totally kicked the rest of their asses!!! They just been served!!!
 

Grey_Focks

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Jan 12, 2010
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God dammit, there go my hopes for not having nightmares tonight....once again, thanks a lot, Japan.
 

darthricardo

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May 7, 2010
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Huh, last thing I remember seeing about bipedal robots were big stumbling things that could barely walk.
Now this. Just... Wow. The second video was just full of WIN.
 

Rigs83

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Feb 10, 2009
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Love how a tech repositioned one so we could tell just how tiny they are.
 

Lord Devius

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Tom Goldman said:
Anthropomorphic cat robot (above) is the master of hand... er, paw movements. Cat-girl below gets more sassy with it.

I like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but as soon as that song started, I had to stop watching.

I hate that fucking dance.

I HATE IT WITH FIRE

OT: I hope I get to see stuff this wacky when I go to Japan on the 25th.

Seriously, though. These things have some serious skills.
 

Ldude893

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Apr 2, 2010
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Tom Goldman said:
The potential of robots to take over the world could be greatly exaggerated, because these guys don't appear to have very powerful combat skills. I think a good football kick would take them out in about a second. If anything, it's more likely that robot dancers will shame us with how much better they can pop it and lock it.
Oh you just wait. At the rate technology is improving these days, they'll probably learn how to fire a gun and distinguish between civilians and enemies by the year 2021.
 

Cpu46

Gloria ex machina
Sep 21, 2009
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Worgen said:
holy shit, I didnt realize robots had reached that level of dance technology.... now humans dont stand a chance against them on the dance floor
Today they take the stage, tomorrow THE WORLD!!
 

UberNoodle

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Apr 6, 2010
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Great the thread has gone almost a page without "oh Japan! You've done it again!" and other such patronising and ignorant remarks, or the ones in which people say something like "people are dying of cancer and Japan wastes its money on this!", or "Japan leading the world in useless technology!"

Living here in Japan I'm greatly interested in robotic solutions to Japan's terrible ageing population problems. Rest assured that research into robotics has one general goal - automation and assistance in manufacturing, labour and health care. In order to get to the level of technology required, money is very very very necessary. Investors and the public don't get excited about the robot prototypes lifting things, tying knots or screwing nuts on bolts. They DO however love something FUN!

Autonomous robots in Japan's pop-culture have, since Atom, been most usually depicted and considered humanity's saviour, helpers and friends. The fear of renegade robots is also there, however, but it's more often used to caution against man's own corruption in things he creates. In the West it usually illustrates the fear of destruction by the "outside unknown" or the uprising of the "slave". Japanese people want to experience robots in their lives. In the general cultural view, everything has a "spirit" inside it anyway. That's Animism. Dolls certainly do, and that's why old ritual dolls must be disposed of at Shrines, not in the garbage.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is this - while certain other nations see robotics and related technology as a means to strengthen military power; Japan uses this technology mostly to improve life for humanity, be that through medicine, care or laughter. Yes, there are people dying of cancer, but that has nothing to do with this, and regardless, perhaps one day the robot animals prototyped last year will be making terminally ill patients happy and more able to face what's coming for them. That's a really exciting prospect.

Apologies for my pre-emptive strike but almost every "Japan" thread here devolves into what I outlined at the top, ie post #17. Though it may be intentional to get a rise from me.
 

Saucycarpdog

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Sep 30, 2009
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Wow! Those robots really know how to step up

Stomp the Yard? More like totally Bizarre!

Humanity just got served on the dance floor.

[sub]I'll stop now[/sub]
 

BioHazardMan

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Sep 22, 2009
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Japan: Leading in useless expensive technology since 1959!

If only they put their brainpower to good use...

Cool though
 

Norix596

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Nov 2, 2010
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This is incredible -- the prototype of the dancing robot from Japan from like two months ago wasn't nearly as good as these. -- Only in Japan, huh?
 

Kwaren

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Jul 10, 2009
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Tom Goldman said:
Anthropomorphic cat robot (above) is the master of hand... er, paw movements. Cat-girl below gets more sassy with it.

Here is the original dance for comparison. I think it did very well.
 

RUINER ACTUAL

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Oct 29, 2009
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Why, Japan? Why? I want to go to Japan someday and do a bunch of drugs and wander around Tokyo. How crazy would that be?