Hasta La Gadget!

Sharp have updated their Cocorobo line of intelligent robot vacuum cleaners, with a new smaller model, as well as a Cocorobo Navi function, which allows the robot to be controlled when the user is outside the home.
Cocorobo Navi can be used to visually map out your house creating a floor plan, letting the robot know where objects are placed, so you can directly specify where the robot should go.
Sharp also unveiled a controller, which connects to the Cocorobo via it’s USB port, and can …

The Gocen is a device which scans and plays handwritten sheet music in real time. It is being developed by a group at the Tokyo Metropolitan University led by Assistant Professor Tetsuaki Baba.
“First, the system looks at the stave, then at the notes, then at the position of the notes, to determine the high notes. In addition, it directly reads words such as piano or guitar. The computer automatically recognizes them, and changes the instrument. Also, for example, if this melody is in F …

Japan Display has presented three prototype displays, titled “Innovation Vehicles”, which combining the latest mobile display technologies from Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi.
“Japan Display was established in April, by the three companies. During the six months since then, technology developers from each company have worked together, to see what new technologies we could create. The result is this Innovation Vehicle.”
The three versions that have been developed consist of: …

At the University of Tokyo, the Naemura Group is developing paper computing technology, which can automatically erase, copy and print hand-drawn sketches on paper.
As well as using a camera and computer, this system uses a laser and UV light, making it possible to work directly with the hand-drawn sketches using the computer.
So for example, the user can leave only the edges of hand-written characters, creating 3D like text, or draw a figure by hand and color it in automatically.
“This is …

On October 11, NTT Docomo will start the Utsushite Honyaku service, which instantly translates foreign-language restaurant menus when you point a smartphone’s camera at them.
Utsushite Honyaku is a commercial version of a service that’s been available as a trial version. As well as menus, the new service can now handle signs. It works between Japanese and four languages: English, Korean and both simplified and traditional Chinese.
“For example, suppose you visit Korea, and you …