Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2011 19:58:23 GMT -7
I just saw this article, and had to post it here.
Basically, a group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology are working on a plush bear that's animated, but fully soft (as in, he doesn't have hard insides to produce his movements), and capable of accurately responding to being touched and held.
It works by having the motors hidden within the torso, and the animation is operated by very tough strings that control the movement via running stitches along the internal "skeleton". The same strings (and, I imagine, some sensors) are also what enable the bear to respond to touch.
I think it's very clever, myself, and I'll be very interested to see what - if any - products might spring from this research.
Basically, a group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology are working on a plush bear that's animated, but fully soft (as in, he doesn't have hard insides to produce his movements), and capable of accurately responding to being touched and held.
It works by having the motors hidden within the torso, and the animation is operated by very tough strings that control the movement via running stitches along the internal "skeleton". The same strings (and, I imagine, some sensors) are also what enable the bear to respond to touch.
I think it's very clever, myself, and I'll be very interested to see what - if any - products might spring from this research.