Comments on: Japanese Robot Baby Chills Me To My Core

By: Pot-Smoking Hippies Dream Up Giant Controllable Robot Hand

Pot-Smoking Hippies Dream Up Giant Controllable Robot Hand — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:42:28 +0000

[...] contributors to robotics technology in the world. Their evilness knows no bounds. They made a robot baby for God’s [...]

By: Japanese Scientists Create Gelatinous Inchworm Robot

Japanese Scientists Create Gelatinous Inchworm Robot — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:08:54 +0000

[...] won’t the Japanese come out with? Like it’s not bad enough that they’re trying to replace our babies, now I have to worry about robo-worms getting all up in my business. No thank [...]

By: admin

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:57:36 +0000

Thanks for the comment Zygbot. I think it comes down to traditional depictions of robots in American and Japanese popular culture. Growing up, the exposure that most baby boomers had to robots consisted of science fiction films like The Day the Earth Stood Still where the robot was a menacing figure. It played against traditional American ideals of self-sufficiency and the power of man.

On the other hand, Japanese pop culture has always been geared toward friendly robot-human relations. This is particularly true in Japanese anime, which surged in popularity during the 1970s. This probably also partly explains why research into robotics and other new technologies has always been more prevalent in Japanese society.

By: admin

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:57:00 +0000

In the words of Dr. Egon Spengler, “I think that would be extraordinarily dangerous.”

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:51:28 +0000

Let’s get one.

By: zygbot

zygbot — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:24:52 +0000

Thanks for the enlightening and humorous post. Yes, this childbot has engendered some creepy vibes in people. I’m rather curious though about some of the major socio-cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan on the question of humanoids, and why they’re so popular in Japan, while here they’re met with more skepticism.