Alright, let’s see here. I love beer. And I definitely love robots. So when I found out that Asahi has unveiled it’s very own beer serving robot (dutifully named Mr. Asahi), well, I started wondering if Asahi’s marketing guys had been sneaking into my apartment and reading my diary. Now, granted, Mr. Asahi will likely never be as great a bartender as Sam Malone, but those are some big shoes to fill. Hey, at least he won’t keep pestering me about leaving my keys after I’ve had 8 or 12 beers in a row* or about how I should stop staring at the waitress even though she’s already splashed two drinks in my face. I mean, geez. Really, so long as he is able to refill the pretzel bowl and tell a joke or two in addition to cracking open ice-cold Asahi, I think we’ll be good.

*Please note that New York-Tokyo does not endorse or encourage drinking and driving in any way. Have a safe 4th of July weekend.

Asahi Beer Robot (via Ubergizmo)

Image via Trusted Reviews.com

By Stewart Smith

Coming together like Voltron, four Japanese companies are joining to step up the competition with South Korea in the field of robotics. Try and quell your immediate fears of a Matrix or Terminator-esque takeover though, most of these robots will mainly be serving the young and elderly sans-humanoid form, at least for now. All this hoopla seems to be coming from a recent “robot legislation” law that passed just recently in South Korea, so perhaps much of our future coverage of the industry here at New York-Tokyo will be coming out of Seoul. Either way, things are about to get veeerrrrry interesting in the field of robotics.

Japan Robot Startups Join Efforts (via Yahoo)

By Jesse Mann

Check out this video of robot band The Trons performing “live.” Guitar, keys, drums, and something vaguely resembling vocals are all covered by this ragtag group of modified appliances and unfinished robotic hands. They even have their very own Myspace page! I wonder if a spam bot created it for them…

Robot Rock Group Readies for Next Gig (via MAKE Magazine)

By Jesse Mann

The experience of watching Maywa Denki perform is more than difficult to explain. Perhaps it’s because the strange, dreamlike combination of man, machine and music transcends language, expands our imaginations and sends us to an almost transcendental level of stomach-knotting laughter. I’d say that watching Maywa Denki reminds me of being young, but that would be a lie: I certainly wasn’t this imaginative in my youth. But, were I the chairman of a quasi-fictional Japanese electronics company, maybe I too would create a dazzling display of superfluous mechanical instruments (”products,” if you will).

The trio of musical engineers of Maywa Denki create a dazzling spectacle with overworked combinations of moving electronic and mechanical parts. Somehow, the haphazard collection of these “instruments” manages to create a sound — a sound that the entire audience can dig. It’s incredibly Japanese, and yet, so utterly understandable by all. Speaking to Maywa Denki about their creative process doesn’t reveal much: it does however, confirm our sneaking suspicions that maybe, just maybe, there’s an incredible method to this relentless madness.

Interview and more after the jump.

Just about anybody can strap themselves into this baby, created by the robotics firm Sarcos, Inc. to help enhance human endurance and strength. Once they do, expect to be able to do some MAJOR heavy lifting, up to 20 times that of the average human. Funded by the military (of course,) the plan is to have this baby load cargo and do repairs on larger objects. Naturally, there’s a twinkle in the Defense Department’s eye, and dreams of using it for combat someday. We shall see. For now, rejoice as Mamoru Oshii’s Patlabor comes to life in the real world.

Robotic Suit Could Usher in Super Soldier Era (via Breitbart)

By Jesse Mann

So some engineers at Duke University have developed a robot capable of performing simple surgical procedures completely on its own. Obviously this an incredible creation that pushes the envelope of modern medicine, but, for me, it begs the question of even though we can use robots to perform surgeries, should we?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for using robotics to help make people’s lives easier, but there’s something about removing the human element from medicine that just seems… wrong. Yes, a robot could (in theory) be far more precise and accurate in performing the procedures, but there’s no telling how it would handle the situation should something go awry. I don’t know, maybe it’s just that any time I hear about automated medical care all I can think of is Roujin Z.

My own hyperactive imagination aside, it will be quite exciting to see what kind of advances this helps bring about.

Mad Medicine (via io9)

By Stewart Smith