The “Driview” application which is available for free download, works with Fujitsu Ten’s “Eclipse” brand of car navigation systems ( ‘AVN-ZX02i’ or ‘AVN-Z02i’ ). The iPhone is connected to the navigation system using a separately sold cable.

The company has previously released smartphone integrated systems such as “TwitDrive” which allows to tweet while driving, “DocoCar” which helps you find where you parked you car and “Car News Reader” a text to speech application which reads the news for you.

Fujitsu Ten via TechON

The robot community in Japan is never short of ingenuity, take this robot maid for example. This custom bot was built by Dr. GIY, a well respected member of the Robo-one scene. The first of the Doctor’s creations I saw live was an anthropomorphic robot cat that wowed the audience in a dance competition. It’s quite obvious he’s a wiz at making his creations dance. Watch her go.

According to Dr. GIY the choreography is not as smooth as he’d like it to be so he’ll be working on refining it. The maid was made using Kondo servos and software found in the Kondo KHR-3HV kit.

via: PlasticPals

Though this may look like a pair of colorful oversized hipster glasses, it is actually a 2 mega-pixel spy camera called MEGANE-CAMERA. This stylish camera allows you to discretely take beautiful retro-looking daytime pictures and videos without arousing any suspicion.

Taking a picture is as simple as clicking the small shutter button on the top right of the glasses’ frame. The pictures (2048 × 1536 px) and videos (720p, 30fps with audio) are stored on a micro SD card. Data can be transferred from the camera via USB, which is also a way to charge the built-in rechargeable lithium battery. With all this going on the MEGANE-CAMERA is still pretty light at 33g. It costs about $50 (3990 yen). You can get one over at their website, you stylish spy. Check the sample images and video below.

Sample Images

Sample Video

via: Far East Gizmos

Like it’s predecessor UNI-CUB works by using an omni-directional driving wheel system but now also with a rear-wheel that helps with turning. Because of the unit’s compact size, you are more or less the same width riding the UNI-CUB when walking. This makes fitting into small spaces such as elevators easy. Honda boosts that the directional motion gives a level of freedom similar to human walking. This is fitting, seeing that this omni-directional system was inspired by their humanoid robot ASIMO.

What’s exciting is that they’ve added a panel control system. This allows the user to control the unit with a smartphone or any similar device. Movement can be controlled by combination of subtle weight shifts and commands from your connected device. This also allows for remote control of the UNI-CUB, so if you parked it across the room there is no need to go get it, just pilot it over to you. How cool is that?

Honda plans to start testing units in the June in the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Museum director, Mamoru Mohri a former astronaut with NASA is reported to have said that riding the UNI-CUB feels “floaty,” and “like being in zero-gravity.”

via Honda

Honda motors recently started testing the world’s first technology to prevent traffic congestion. This system was developed after realizing that the acceleration and deceleration of one vehicle affects the traffic patterns of the vehicles trailing behind. The system detects a vehicle’s potential to cause traffic congestion by analyzing a car’s driving pattern. The driver is then given advice on best times to accelerate or apply braking via an on board color-coded display, resulting in smoother driving.

Private test results have shown an increase in speed of about 23% and an improved fuel efficiency of 8% of trailing vehicles. Honda has started public road tests in Italy this month and will start in Indonesia this July. Traffic congestion is not only an inconvenience but also results in an increase in CO2 emissions. Honda hopes that this system not only gets us to where we want to go faster but lessens the burden traffic jams have on the environment.

via: Honda

Japanese performance artist Momoyo Torimitsu takes her robot for a crawl in downtown Sydney, Australia. Crowds watch the bizarre sight of the life-like Japanese businessman in suit and tie slowly crawling on all fours along the pavement. The robot is a symbol of the Japan’s rigid Salaryman culture.

by itnsource on youtube 2006

This is a sensible and convenient use of android technology, a smart mirror. Japanese company Seraku recently demoed their mirror at the Smartphone and Mobile Expo. The exhibit featured a display which you could use to check the weather and your weight. The smart mirror consists of a pane of semi-transparent glass in front of an LCD monitor. Users interact with the display by placing their hands close to areas of interest as RF proximity sensors detect this motion. This is all powered by an android tablet in the background.

Though not yet commercially available, Seraku plans to have the mirrors in public places such as beauty saloons and bars where people can use it fill out questionnaires. I think it would also make a great tool for advertising. Drill your brand into your customers heads even when they’re washing their hands in the bathroom.

via: The Verge

Summer is cockroach season in Japan and these remote controlled robot cockroaches are the perfect way to freak out your loved ones who are terrified of them. There’s called Gokiraji from GOKIburi (cockroach) and RAJIkon (RC), and they’re 1,680 yen each. I wish they were a lot cheaper so I could buy a swarm of them.

via: JTT

This 4.9 ton, 12.5 foot (3.8 meter) metal monstrosity is Vaudeville, a project in progress by a small group of mecha enthusiasts called “Suidobashi Heavy Industry”. The single-pilot giant robot is controlled using a smartphone, master-slave control and also a Kinect sensor in the cockpit. Check out this video showing their work in progress.

It is truly amazing that a backyard project such as this could be of such high quality. The best thing about this project is that when it is finished you have a chance to own it. The team has plans to sell the completed mecha after personalizing it for the buyer, adding a camouflage paint job and optional water guns. I wonder if they would add real guns too? Vaudeville is expected to be completed by the end of the year so start saving up. Still not sold? Check out this video of one of the hands in action.

via: PlasticPals

Nobuhiro Takahashi is a researcher known for making high-tech devices for lonely people. He previous inventions include; Sense-Roid, a vest that allows you to know how it feels to hug yourself and robotic tongue that for kissing over the internet (videos below). Now he’s at it again, he’s created the world’s most realistic robot buttocks. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you, “Shiri”. (Japanese for butt)

So according to Takahashi and The University of Electrocommunication, this humanoid robot butt was made to explore innovative ways to use robotics in communication. They are also very interested in people’s perceptions of communicating with a robot butt. And how does one talk to mechanical derriere? As shown in the video it involves a lot of slapping and stroking. Shiri expresses emotions in response to these various stimuli. The different responses are tensing, twitching and bulging. Even though this is all explained, the question; “WHY?!” still remains.

Here are some of Nobuhiro Takahashi’s other work:

Sense-Roid

Internet Tongue Kissing Robot

via: Kotaku