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Tokyo (AFP) Dec 16, 2005 Sony Friday unveiled an upgrade of its humanoid robot QRIO, which can now recognize boxes and play with them like building blocks. The robot, which stands 60 centimeters (23.5 inches) and weighs 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds), can maintain its balance while using both arms to hold small boxes. It can carry them and place them on top of one another. If it drops a box while carrying it, the robot can find the box, pick it up by recognizing the edges and corners, and deliver it again to a pre-registered location. The updated robot can also recognize colors, human faces and movements of objects and register whether a face is turning. "The evolution is a part of our efforts to improve the intelligence of our robot technology," said Yuichi Hattori, a section manager of Sony Robot Company. The new movement, though slow, was a major step forward for Sony as it continues to advance the evolution of the robot, which can already jog, sing, dance, get up on its own if it falls -- and throw a ball if a special hand is attached. "These technologies can someday be applied to other consumer electronics," Hattori said. On Tuesday, Honda unveiled its own upgrade of Japan's most famous robot ASIMO, which has been trained to serve coffee and will be put to work at an office of the automaker.
Source: Agence France-Presse
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