The Fujitsu social robot bear is a prototype device that responds to being held and cuddled. Just what every child needs. Readers may recall an earlier article (see Fujitsu Teddy Bear Robot Prototype Spotted ), but now we have video.
"We want to offer an object that can become part of the family, nursing home or school and that can benefit humans," a Fujitsu researcher told AFP during the sneak preview. "We really want it to look natural."
Fujitsu "plans to test the robot in nursing homes so that it can entertain and soothe elderly people," said the researcher.
The earliest example of a robot bear toy that I can think of in sf is from Harry Harrison, who wrote about a teddy bear robot in his 1965 short story I Always Do What Teddy Says:
"Let me go... let me go!" the teddy bear said with a hopeless shrill.
(Find out what happens next to Harrison's teddy bear robot)
Fans may also recall Teddy from Brian Aldiss' 1969 short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long and Purza the Pukha from Anne McCaffrey's 1990 novel The Rowan.
And in film, the Teddybear 3000 from Steven Spielberg's movie AI, his film version of the Aldiss short story.
Mika The Robot-Boss
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...' - David C. Cooke, 1939.
Sensitive, Soft Robot Skin
'...tinted material that had all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.' - Harl Vincent, 1934.
Finger Sensors For Robot Hands
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!' - Ray Cummings, 1931.
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