JAPAN: Latest female humanoid robot vogues down the runway at Fashion Week

Record ID: 401765

  • Title: JAPAN: Latest female humanoid robot vogues down the runway at Fashion Week
  • Date: 24th March 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) SHUJI KAJITA, DIRECTOR OF HUMANOID ROBOT ENGINEERING AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SAYING: "We believe this is Japan's and, perhaps, the world's first humanoid robot to walk on two feet and resemble the average body type of a young Japanese woman."
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Fashion
  • Reuters ID: LVACKCY00173NBR5VFW3VH464Q74
  • Story Text: From IT labs to photo grabs, Japanese female humanoid robot strutted her hard and software on the runway as she kicked-off the annual Japan Fashion Week on Monday (March 23) in Tokyo.
    Japan's latest creation "HRP-4C" runs on battery-powered motors located in her body and face, allowing her the expressions, gait and poses of a supermodel.

    "We believe this is Japan's and, perhaps, the world's first humanoid robot to walk on two feet and resemble the average body type of a young Japanese woman," said Shuji Kajita, director of humanoid robot engineering at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan.
    The current 43-kilogram, 158-centimetres, Cybernetic hottie has slimmed-down from earlier models, just in time for her catwalk debut at one of Japan's biggest fashion events.
    Showing off her storm-trooper-like silver and black frame in the runway spotlight, the robot introduced the fashion show and bowed deeply welcoming the fashion savvy audience.
    AIST designers say her eyes, face and hair are based on "anime" or Japanese animation characters, but more work is needed to make her into a real supermodel.

    "Our robot can't move elegantly like the real models that are here today. It'll take another 20 to 30 years of research to make that happen!" Kajita told Reuters.
    The institute spent about two million U.S. dollars to develop the robot and is currently filing for patent protection.
    Japan, home to almost half of the world's 800,000 industrial robots, expects a 10 billion U.S. dollar industry in the future, particularly as helpers for its growing elderly population.
    But designers say this "vogue-ing" humanoid is aimed at entertaining and not doing windows, as she already has the attitude of some of her catwalk peers.
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