Bacarobo 2008 - Stupid Robot Competition (VIDEO)

Written by: Michael Keferl on December 8, 2008 at 4:15 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 1 Comment

Last Saturday was the the long-waited finals of Bacarobo 2008, the “Stupid Robot” championship that made a name for itself last year.

Organized by Yoshimoto Kogyo and hosted by comedian Yama-chan, Bacarobo pit six ambitious (and arguably not stupid) creators of idiotic robots to amuse us all.

The qualifying rules are pretty sparse, but aside from some minor size requirements, the robots must be mechanical, useless to society, and and make people laugh. The problem, of course, is that for every stupid robot there’s someone who thinks quite the opposite, but this year’s entries were pretty stupid (despite having complicated innards/backends at times).

The winner (in the center) was YKRN, an “Idol Robot” that used facial scanning technology and leaned in to faces it liked. To be fair, it seems like there’s some sophisticated technology behind it, and the creators from Tokyo University had the geek credentials to prove it.

My personal favorite was the “Jointed Samurai Robot” that could detect lies of the wearer by being wired into his vitals. Seems he has a thing for schoolgirls! It was nice to see a foreign entry as well with a couple of “Perverted joke-telling” robots by a Swedish creator and his language algorithm.

A team of high school girls made a cute robot group that, frankly, I never quite understood fully, but for some reason the manner of the girl feeding the pig is hilarious.

Be sure to check out the video below and, if you have a stupid idea for a stupid robot, start getting ready for next year!

Tags: Bacarobo, DIY, Events, Robotics, Technology
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Your private, portable Rotenburo bath

Written by: Sascha Faustka on September 16, 2008 at 12:53 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 2 Comments

New portable traditional Japanese bath

Japan is the land of Onsen and Sento (Japanese style public bath). When your average Japanese full time workers go on vacation, their morale and loyalty to the company doesn’t allow them to take long trips for one or two weeks like most Europeans are used to doing. Usually they only go on a one or two day long trip, often to an onsen or ryokan (Japanese style hotel) somewhere outside of Tokyo, far away from the stress and hectic daily routine. To do so, there is nothing better than relaxing in a rotenburo (outdoor bath), lying in a hot spring under the blue sky.

To get this traditional bath atmosphere without going to a far ryokan, Auvelcraft has invented a small Japanese style portable bath to use at home or take camping.
The standard version has a compact diameter of 86cm and a height of 68cm. Weighing 55kg, it can easily be carried by two people and transported by car. The boiler weighs another 22kg and uses wood or charcoal to heat the water!

Home luxury, particularly that related to relaxation and wellness, has been increasing in the area of FMCG: Sauna masks, body massagers/shapers, home oxygen, etc are all booming. Once out-of-reach items reserved for the spa are now accessible to consumers to use in their own way, even if that means bringing your bath with you to set up by the river.

Auvelcraft’s homepage

Tags: DIY, Luxury, Onsen, Wellness
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Papercraft the hit summer pastime, marketing tool

Written by: Rebecca Milner on August 22, 2008 at 12:05 am | In MARKETING IDEAS | 3 Comments

We first mentioned free, printable papercraft designs when we introduced Motomachi’s website, you know the guy who takes a picture of a vending machine everyday? Due to the popularity of his site, he began offering a downloadable paper model of his well-documented machine.

Now with the hot summer months in full tilt (meaning bored children and adults alike trapped in air conditioned boxes watching Olympic softball), we’re seeing a number of papercraft sites on the net.

Brands like Nissan and Yamaha hope to score young fans with free papercraft versions of their vehicles, while Cannon (remember they make printers too) offers popular summer themes, like beetles.

Blogs are also a platform for hobbyists to show off their original work; for example, check out this impressive tribute to Rilakkuma’s 5th anniversary.

One of the most talked about on the internet papercraft downloads however, comes from JR West Japan and is hardly new.

What began 10 years ago as one model, the Nozomi Shinkansen, has since grown to over 40, including not just a variety of trains but also well-loved stations and backgrounds for creating whole dioramas.

It may sound like a niche hobby, however, the site recorded over 1,000 downloads one day in July this summer. What makes the JR items standout, and helps explain why they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, is the quality and the elaborate attention to detail that makes these papercrafts convincing, and charming, models of the original.

Of course, Japan has a long history of papercraft, with the art of origami, but this new free download trend is a clever blend of contemporary technology and branding.

Tags: Cannon, DIY, JR, kids, Nissan, Summer, Web, Yamaha
Category: MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Gakken Analog Synthesizer SX-150

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 28, 2008 at 8:33 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 3 Comments

When it comes to retro gadgets that make us DIY-happy, Gakken’s Otonanokagaku (Science for Adults) never disappoints. Just last week we showed off their still-unannounced 8mm Camera and Projector, which captures the essence of what the retro trends in Japan are all about: Simplicity.

After years of being bombarded with the newest and greatest, 20-30 somethings are yearning for the simpler days, and simplicity is what Gakken is all about.

From vacuum tube cars and amps to Tokyo Tower models (soon to be retro?), Gakken is always coming out with fun gadgets that teach as well.

This week they’re debuting a cool little Analog Synthesizer SX-150 that is battery-powered and stylus driven, and would look really cool next to my Intellivision. Hook it up to the Mini Theremin kit to make your simple gadget life even weirder.

Of course, the best thing about Gakken is that they’re a publisher, not just a fun gadget maker. Each item they sell is part of a kit that is sold like a magazine, so you can pick these up at bookstores for decent prices. This one runs for about $30, which isn’t all the much more than buying a CD in Japan!

Tags: DIY, Gakken, Retro
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Sterling Silver DIY Love Letter from Stone Ocean

Written by: Rebecca Milner on December 14, 2007 at 12:18 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 1 Comment

This has to be one of the more inventive products marketed towards the Christmas season shopping rush: jewelry company Stone Ocean’s “Sterling Silver Love Letter.” Precious metal and romantic sentiment, a perfect holiday combination!

It’s actually a do-it-yourself silver pendant kit that comes with silver blocks embossed with alphabet, number, and symbol designs that can be arranged inside a silver frame.

The set includes either 51 or 62 blocks, depending on the set (in case you were wondering how to compose a sentence with limited letters), a glass plate to keep the letters from falling out of the frame, tweezers, mini-screwdriver, and chain.

It looks impossibly frustrating to put together, but I suppose that is part of the appeal. Imagine the hours spent toiling in the name of love! You can’t get that from a mobile phone.

Visit our…ONLINE SHOP…Buy cool and trendy gadgets & lifestyle products straight from Japan…fast, reliable and safe…delivered right to your doorstep…

Tags: Customization, DIY, Fashion
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS