Therapeutically Cute A Japanese robot called the Babyloid (a name so close to making sense in English but still falling a touch short) is designed to be cute. That cuteness, which manifests in its appearance, its reactions to stimuli, and its giant button face that's so cute you just want to eat it all up, is supposed to be helpful to depressed elderly folk. Read more at FastCoDesign. Masayoshi Kanoh

This week, in the midst of the Consumer Electronics Show, the Detroit Auto Show, and the 219th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society, we were inundated with pictures. The most exciting gadgets, the hottest cars, and the most humbling, beautiful space pics all showed up this week. But that doesn't mean we can't also take time and look at adorable Japanese robot...things. Or frogs so tiny they can comfortably hang out on the surface of a dime.


Click to launch this week's Images of the Week gallery.

10 Comments

I have a really bad feeling about this robot.
Its cuteness unnerves me. I think it should be killed, before it multiplies...
Kill IT, I SAY! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.............................
Science sees no further than what it can sense.
Religion sees beyond the senses.

Mcollsmartsometimes

THAT THING LOOKS LIKE A BEAR THAT GOT ITS FACE BLEACHED.
whatever cuteness that existed is now gone since it a robot it reminded me of the commercial with the sour patch kids.

SOUR
SWEET
GONE

guys,i think u ppl r in wrong place.i mean, if at all we need to comment,we'd rather express something which is nice (oppose hatred).even if we face a situation where we need to point some thing bad, we'd rather stay put,as long as it dosen't harm none.bco'z we don't deserve it.
co-existentialism.
ps-what I'm trying to say is, find things which you prefer and start posting comments over there.
embrace life and good health.

co.existentialism,
Yes, you are correct. I was sucked into the 'dark side' by the 'cute-ness' over load.

Perhaps I am having a cuteness envy over load of my circuits?

I appreciate you comments man! I love you! Hold me!
BIG BIG HUG!
MMMM! SQUISH!!! ;)

.............................
Science sees no further than what it can sense.
Religion sees beyond the senses.

So I decide to browse the pictures and here is what I saw first.

The Pope meeting a rare baby Cuban crocodile and I also notice a Christmas tree in the back ground. I am not sure how any of these things are related.

Next, a new Japanese Robot toy for old folks; I remember the days when it was just called a toy. I suppose adding robot helps marketing now days.

Third is a Carnival composite swing picture. It won a prize in Paris, so I guess this is good.

Now we have the quick Chill, to cool our beer down from room temperature in only 5 minutes. I remember when I finish boot camp in the Navy and I was doing some laundry. It was the craziest thing in the world to buy beer from a vending machine as I did laundry in San Diego. The article picture shows a Dr. Pepper soda, but the words say beer. I wonder who is checking the age of the purchasers.

Volkswagen makes a electric sporty looking bug car. I suppose if I was rich, I may buy it. I do not know yet if electric cars are cost effective. It is fun eye candy.

The tiniest frogs, vertebrate in the world, cool. Ok, I commented on this before, when it was previously posted. It is nice we are still finding new life on planet Earth as fast we are making extinct of the rest. I wonder who will win.

A nice ISS picture is displayed with the moon too. I adore outer space. Cool pic!

Hey fun Russian secret pictures. It kind of looks like a background shot to Star Wars of the Death Star.

Another reposted of an article POPSCI already posted and no one commented about, the guts of a of some camera gear. Next!

Looking at a suggested design of a gigantic floating pool structure in Russia, plus it cleans their polluted river too, all right then.

Last and lovely pictures of the Milky Way, I adore seeing pictures of outer space! Oh to dream to travel the Cosmos, heavy ...... sigh!

.............................
Science sees no further than what it can sense.
Religion sees beyond the senses.

I believe if Grandma and Grandpa children and grand children get off their butts and contact them more often would be the most and very real solution!

I suppose their is a desire to automate and make robotic a hug, so humans do not have too. I guess there is a market for this, else it would not be developed. It is a sad reflection on society, ...... sigh.

Hey POPSCI readers, pick up the phone and call a relative today or go visit them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

..........................................
See life in all its beautiful colors, and
from different perspectives too!

Cute, hah, thats a good one. Uncanny valley anyone?

So the answer to combating depression in Japanese geriatrics-> animatronic baby robots?

Oh yeah! That totally makes sense.

Imagine it is 2:32am in the morning. An elderly person is awake laying in bed and their eyes open. They lay in bed not able to sleep and look about the room. They are not wearing their glasses and the room is dimly lit by electronic life support devices and the moon light shining through the window. Suddenly a shriek is heard from a owl far away outside. The elderly person looks to the window and thinks for moment and begins to close their eyes and then they see it," TWO TINY EYES and a SMILE looking back at them across the room with a devilish robotic stare!

......................
SPOOKY!...... Life is


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June 2012: Invent Your Own Anything

The 6th annual Invention Awards are here, from an inflatable tourniquet to a better lobster trap to spring-loaded hocket skates. This issue is all about the celebration of invention.

Plus: Making synthetic biology breakthroughs in a garage, building a constantly-moving ping-pong table, and a ridiculously overpowered barbecue.

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