Word: inventors
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Nuvo, Sit Inventor: ZMP Inc. Availability: Now, starting at $7,000 To Learn More: nuvo.jp Tired of coming home to an empty nest each night? Try Nuvo. This 15-in., two-legged bot can dance, talk, play music, tell time and even shake your hand. It can respond to 40 simple commands (like "Nuvo, let's dance") in a Japanese-accented female voice and take pictures with the Cyclops lens mounted on its head. The 15 motorized joints in its body allow Nuvo to perform tricks like headstands and head rolls, as well as to roam freely around the house...
Dancing Machine Inventor: Tohoku University, Nomura Unison Group, TroisO Co. Ltd. Availability: Prototype only To Learn More: www.irs.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/top.html With a face modeled on Marilyn Monroe's and a long, flowing skirt to hide its three wheels, the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot is a 5-ft. 5-in. waltzing humanoid. Available in hot pink or blue, it has upper-body sensors that allow it to "predict" its partner's next steps. Dancing is just one application. "By interpreting users' movements to estimate what they want, care robots will be able to provide better service for the elderly...
Airing It Out Inventor: Michelin Availability: Now for the IBOT; about 2020 for cars To Learn More: michelinman.com A wheel without an inflated tire may seem old-fashioned - think wooden buggy wheels - but the Tweel from Michelin is anything but retro. A shock-absorbing rubber tread band distributes pressure to dozens of flexible polyurethane spokes. The spokes in turn are supported by an aluminum center. Because the Tweel is airless, it is more rugged than a pneumatic tire and never goes flat. The Tweel has been tested on the IBOT robotic wheelchair and military vehicles...
Clean Machine Inventor: Intelligent Energy Availability: In early 2007, for less than $10,000 To Learn More: envbike.com The ENV bike looks like a muscular motorcycle but runs more like a moped. Weighing in at 200 lbs., the aluminum bike travels at speeds of up to 50 m.p.h. on its hydrogen-powered fuel-cell engine. Project director Andy Eggleston says that proprietary technology allows the fuel cell to produce more energy than is typical. The ENV runs silently on a 5-oz. canister of hydrogen that costs about $4 and can power the bike for 100 miles. The drawback? California...
Handles Like a Dream Inventor: Yoshiaki Kato of Toyota Availability: Prototype only To Learn More: www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/04/1203_1e.html The i-unit is a four-wheel personal-transportation system that looks like a space-age sports car. "This is designed to be an extension of the human body," says Yoshiaki Kato, chief engineer of the fully electronic, drive-by-wire concept vehicle, which is powered by lithium-ion batteries and has an exterior made of biodegradable, plant-based materials. The 3-ft.-wide, leaf-shaped i-unit is nearly 6 ft. tall when positioned upright but drops its center of gravity...