Tomy unveils world's tiniest, thumb-sized walking robot

YOKOHAMA, Oct. 11 Kyodo -
Japanese toymaker Tomy Co. unveiled Saturday the world's tiniest, thumb-sized
walking robot that will debut in Japan next spring.
The two-legged toy, dubbed ''Robo-Q,'' is only 3.4 centimeters high, but its
artificial intelligence can detect obstacles and navigate through a maze using
built in infrared sensors. Using a controller, it can also play games like
soccer.
Robo-Q is being displayed at a three-day exhibition in Yokohama through Monday,
where more than 100 different types of robots are being showcased by a total of
43 companies, universities and organizations, including Honda Motor Co. and
Fujitsu Ltd.
''It just looks like a clump, but it's impressive that so many functions are
built into that thing,'' Kazuhiko Oda, 55, from Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Prefecture, said after watching an exhibition of Robo-Q at the Robo Japan 2008.
''It shows how much technology has advanced and it's cute so I want to buy
it,'' said his wife Minako.
Robo-Q comes in four colors and will be sold in Japan from around February for
3,500 yen excluding tax. The robot is expected to be sold in other Asian
countries soon afterwards and in the United States and Europe at an unspecified
date, Tomy officials said.
''This is a toy both parents and children can play with,'' said Gen Nagashima,
manager of Tomy's boys toy team. ''We hope to propose other ways of having fun
(with robots).''
Another popular robot by Tomy, called ''i-Sobot,'' is listed by the Guinness
Book of Records as the world's smallest humanoid robot in production.
Other robots in the exhibition included Honda's two-legged ASIMO and Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries Ltd.'s talking household robot called ''Wakamaru.''
==Kyodo