Sony shows kicking, dancing prototype humanoid robot

TOKYO (AP) _ Sony Corp.'s first humanoid robot has a long way to go before it can wash the dishes, but it kicks a mean soccer ball and does the ``Para Para,'' Japan's latest dance craze.

Tuesday, November 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TOKYO (AP) _ Sony Corp.'s first humanoid robot has a long way to go before it can wash the dishes, but it kicks a mean soccer ball and does the ``Para Para,'' Japan's latest dance craze.

The 20-inch-tall, 10 pound SDR-3X, or ``Sony dream robot,'' shown to reporters Tuesday is still a prototype. Sony officials wouldn't discuss retail pricing but said just one of the prototypes costs as much as a car.

The silvery machine shares its basic parts and software with Sony's four-legged Aibo robot dog, which has sold more than 45,000 in a year. An improved Aibo went on sale last week for $1,500.

On Monday, automaker Honda Motor Co. showed an experimental robot of its own _ the 4 foot, 95-pound humanoid Asimo, which performs simple dance steps, walks and waves.

Honda said it was studying ways to give its robot voice-recognition capability and the ability to identify faces. It hopes to start selling it in a couple of years, with the robot's first job probably in a Honda car showroom.

Both the Honda and Sony robots will be featured at the Robodex 2000 exhibit opening Friday in Yokohama, near Tokyo. It's a show meant to stir public interest in entertainment robots.

Toshi Doi, president of Sony's Digital Creatures Laboratory, said his robots are now basically for entertainment but they may soon be carrying out simple household chores.

``In about five years' time, most entertainment robots are going to be humanoid types,'' Doi said. ``And there will be less distinction between entertainment robots and those carrying out useful tasks.''

The SDR-3X has a camera inside its bubble-shaped head, a microphone in each ear, a speaker in its mouth and sensors in its torso and feet to synchronize the bending of its metal joints and keep it balanced.

It walks about 50 feet per minute; recognizes about 20 words and speaks about 20 others.

``Hello everybody,'' it says in a squeaky childlike voice. ``My hobby is soccer.''

In one demonstration, the machine was told to pick out a yellow ball from among blue and red ones on a stage.

It walked up to the yellow ball, paused and then kicked it into a miniature goal. The robot then knelt, raising its fists triumphantly.