Techalyzer

We don’t see a lot of robots here in North America but in Japan there is a little gadget that has become almost a member of the family. This is called the Banryu Homer Robot. This robot made by tmsuk Co., LTD., (pronounced “temzack”) has actually been around since 2002 and surely but subtly making its way into the daily existence of many homes. It is a piece of very sophisticated technology that makes you really feel like mankind has entered a century where the robots have developed a real logic and intelligence and are slaves to mankind.

This nifty robot is manufactured by a small robotics firm Kitakyushu (Fukuoka Pref. Japan) and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Moriguchi, Osaka. The finalized version of their home-robot Banryu has been in existence for a quite a long time. It was first invented in 2001 when a limited edition of fifty of the little electric critters were tried out in experimental families.

The robots name translates in Japanese to mean “guard dragon” which also translates to mean guard dog. It looks like an ancient reptile but with futureistic design elements. Initially in only moved about three meters a minute but now it moves about fifteen meters a minute even when it is in confined spaces.

The great thing is that this little robot also can jump over gaps that are as big as ten centimeters. It has sensors on its legs to sense height so that it does not get stuck turning in one place or spin out if it happens to hit a gap in the floor.

The mythology behind it certainly is as solid as its technology. Dragons are lucky in Japan and considered protective. They are also known as Fu Dogs.

Furthermore this electronic Fu Cog can smell. The robot also holds onboard a completely new “odor-sensor” developed jointly by tmsuk, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, and New Cosmos Electric Co., LTD. The developers believe that this is one of the first devices that can sense a particular smell.

With the sensor the robot will be able to detect “burnt scent” which is known to occur in the atmosphere preceding a fire. It can also detect odors like kitty litter. The robot is aimed to be used for several purposes including home-security.

The company tmsuk was responsible for the design and development of the robot and its mechanism. SANYO provided batteries and power train, voice/sound recognition technology and cosmetic design. SANYO is also to manufacture the products at the post pre-marketing stage.

This robot has become a member of the household in many Japanese homes as it has the ability to do many chores.