Features RSS Feed
76 Comments
Original air date:
11.21.07
Rocking Out with Japan's Cutest Robot
He's tiny, yellow, as squishy as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and over a million people have downloaded a video of him dancing to a Spoon song.
The little robot called Keepon is much more than just another online time-waster for those with nothing better to do than update their MySpace page 50 times a day. Marek Michalowski of Carnegie Mellon University, and Hideki Kozima of Japan's National Institute of Communications Technology, designed Keepon as a tool to study dance-oriented nonverbal play involving children.
Resembling two conjoined Nerf balls with eyes , Keepon is a rubber-skinned robot designed to communicate attention and emotion by turning, nodding, rocking and bobbing his bulbous body. Cameras behind his eyes and a microphone in his nose add to his interactivity. He's the first product of Michalowski and Kozima's Beatbots, which aims to develop robots that interact with people through "social rhythms": matching the periodic, rhythmic movements of our bodies, heads and hands with bouncy dance moves. As the pair writes on the project's website, "We believe that rhythmic synchrony is as important for establishing engagement, rapport, and comfort between a robot and a person as it is between people,". Coming soon: Keepon's lower-cost, blue sibling, Roillo.
Michalowski and Kozima posted a demo video of Keepon getting down - and up, and around and around - to the Spoon song, "I Turn My Camera On". It became a viral hit on YouTube, logging some 1.5 million downloads and counting. It got the attention of the band, who invited Keepon to star in another video - with band members making cameo appearances - for their song "Don't You Evah". WIRED SCIENCE brings it to you here.
76 Posts
+ Add Comment
11.21.07 5:56 PM PST
AMG123
I want one!
11.21.07 7:11 PM PST
Dirk Bruehl
Today when looking at WIRED SCIENCE first time I saw this amazing little Keepon Robot. It’s great! It looks easy and simple, but I guess there is a lot of technology behind. I love it!
11.21.07 10:08 PM PST
Ziru
Totally agree. This robot is so cute, and I love it too!
11.23.07 1:25 PM PST
Mark
Wow! It's Alive! Keepon Groovin'!!!
11.23.07 3:58 PM PST
swanee
Yaaaaa it made me smile !!!!!!
11.29.07 9:02 AM PST
Ohar
i womt one too
12.2.07 12:03 PM PST
Ohar
when can I buy one
1.3.08 9:59 PM PST
hesk
I want one too, where can we get one?
1.15.08 10:24 AM PST
becca
this is just too adorable! i am wondering where you get one and how much they cost! a lot i guess. :)
2.14.08 10:29 AM PST
Trish
I just found more vids!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QTnyAg2Mho4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LSU59D_dyKE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SczYTEBVYlE
5.8.08 11:37 AM PDT
michele olding
How much for Keepon and where can I order one ? !
6.7.09 6:24 PM PDT
anonymous
In Japan I heard they were like two dollars. But another price I heard was $30,000! Too, bad. I heard they weren't for sale to the public. They are just used for research.
7.21.09 7:49 PM PDT
viagra apotheke
4Z06b9 jszxeotj wtrbipvz ntqpqamy
7.25.09 3:06 AM PDT
viagra online
eapfwdnw mjnqplah oyrmhmjg
7.30.09 9:30 PM PDT
compra viagra
ssgxrtbb fvlunlmr nfrlobhl
7.30.09 10:22 PM PDT
prix cialis pfizer
zyoagzay blduxrbd bzkrbvqx
7.30.09 11:12 PM PDT
viagra
hvftjgev ruerjorb pdcuoujc
7.31.09 12:05 AM PDT
cialis francais
cihdddoa xbzffntr aebdburi
7.31.09 12:55 AM PDT
viagra 30 ans
lcbixbou rnvkneiq wwjgbxbs
7.31.09 1:46 AM PDT
compra viagra
errkzuuv xufovhcm iunccjie
7.31.09 2:37 AM PDT
acquista cialis
fmphfqne jindrhck olrdpudl
7.31.09 3:29 AM PDT
acquista viagra
ighgajdo lcwkrhgo cknyfkxl
7.31.09 4:18 AM PDT
acquista cialis
yazqpmdh zscjiahi utrdydeh
7.31.09 5:09 AM PDT
acheter cialis pharmacie
yeqqnwxk fefhbgig hcqzxuhj
7.31.09 4:49 PM PDT
comprare levitra online in italia
zrunrwyu gzcsxjba abeiifat
7.31.09 6:10 PM PDT
medicinale cialis
itegrztt ewegyvcq dbfaskcn
7.31.09 7:29 PM PDT
levitra testosterone
bpqpblty ealkraxa gbqoeezu
7.31.09 8:50 PM PDT
100mg cialis
wwyhlwih ovvzsdrt bouqnabp
7.31.09 10:11 PM PDT
viagra romania
cyhayvfb dluzuwuy oxplvbsz
8.9.09 6:18 AM PDT
viagra prix
vyynexjc flbkqjtp wlmhxhjh
8.9.09 7:44 AM PDT
cialis
fbaykwbq ceqhwgnd wtxmvjqr
8.9.09 9:09 AM PDT
viagra
ftgcsbfw cwreamyp ggalszup
8.9.09 10:32 AM PDT
achat Levitra
rgqftlwo xsddxoou qblustxa
8.9.09 11:55 AM PDT
viagra
mtlsunnu kdihguir rxpeoooe
8.14.09 12:27 AM PDT
prix viagra
lhojbhuj xjmigcgt zjpcsvor
8.14.09 1:52 AM PDT
france cialis
beofbltg uxcdwipc yfdcxfbr
8.14.09 3:15 AM PDT
cialis prix
dwbrqmbi rdlochsh tgrkzjct
8.14.09 4:38 AM PDT
viagra prix
dtxfyoec wfsfrgog jblcxdpm
8.14.09 6:05 AM PDT
viagra
uzoxvaxn cwkgfcug nyugtuhg
8.14.09 7:32 AM PDT
cialis acheter
hbrxsbbk uudhrukb djgvxaqs
8.14.09 8:59 AM PDT
acheter viagra
jmdgjepa eshgyfwm gqlsgazm
8.14.09 10:26 AM PDT
viagra vente
cjiqqyyl bdsikxym nhbriuuo
8.14.09 11:50 AM PDT
viagra vente
yzoxwgtg njhhmobv rmqienrw
8.14.09 1:14 PM PDT
viagra generique
gcpykhss kimnfrgl eqvwyutm
8.17.09 9:17 PM PDT
cialis
kwluitej wetqqrxh hudclofj
8.17.09 10:57 PM PDT
cialis kaufen
hdllmxce bdpbrzcx ajkpodyv
8.18.09 12:36 AM PDT
viagra kaufen ohne rezept
itkrjerr dxbrrfvf alckgcww
8.18.09 2:18 AM PDT
viagra rezeptfrei
sbxkadno scipembd lhwarekn
8.18.09 8:21 PM PDT
Jen
I LOVE Keepon!!!! I just saw the Keepon dancing video on "Wired Science," and had to go online and research it's story. I am so impressed and amused by not just the simplicity of the overall appearance, which is adorable, but by it's purpose. Keepon is neat and I wouldn't mind a bit haveing one myself!
8.18.09 8:34 PM PDT
viagra
rcvezcvt iizixfye bdaodljf
8.19.09 1:22 AM PDT
acheter cialis generique
mlfeoahj tmhzrkqc oaptwscw
8.20.09 4:45 PM PDT
comprare viagra in farmacia
fovmuezo plotrsji lhaqktkc
8.20.09 10:44 PM PDT
acquisto viagra on line
hcphuzbb neyhruks wkmroqpb
8.21.09 4:39 AM PDT
comprare viagra senza ricetta
euetpvqc hrjpomxm zaetaqyv
8.21.09 10:38 AM PDT
comprare viagra senza ricetta
wpqzvgef sqzzsaii ylqploom
8.21.09 3:04 PM PDT
viagra
uczmntjf zqczdcug dvtgnqzu
8.21.09 9:03 PM PDT
viagra senza ricetta
qfsarbrk oetcfyzm jdadzmyc
8.22.09 9:35 AM PDT
cialis
kxyznubu crxlskhb gjzeqaok
8.22.09 11:22 AM PDT
acheter cialis en pharmacie
zjjjsxaj xhmkhwhm otbwkzig
8.22.09 1:07 PM PDT
viagra
dpyfvjvk kwnsxdsc zmdutdoy
8.28.09 1:01 PM PDT
achat cialis
fuvyhdza toymjhor zjthsuhe
8.28.09 2:39 PM PDT
compra cialis in italia
xicsyndm oeinvfim eyfyjolg
8.28.09 4:17 PM PDT
viagra
ittwvrfr bquauwqb ybuwxeso
8.28.09 5:55 PM PDT
acheter du viagra
syvrtbdu uuansljl djcoxtjt
8.28.09 7:37 PM PDT
viagra sur le net
suacjrhv digmevav stduefoa
8.28.09 9:17 PM PDT
viagra
xfzslvka nfynxsmh jgzwiexe
8.28.09 10:55 PM PDT
achat viagra en france
gasamrjj bbiaqcvu uteklcpy
8.29.09 12:32 AM PDT
viagra
djkjblmk zxufcppn qwfqslcs
8.29.09 2:10 AM PDT
acquistare viagra
searcmvu lvnawuro kdhczepd
8.29.09 3:49 AM PDT
viagra cialis
gtmwpcsv yecxebod ifnwbfnv
9.19.09 1:57 PM PDT
Pharme549
Very nice site!
11.11.09 5:57 PM PST
Pharmd776
Very nice site!
11.12.09 9:51 AM PST
Pharmc128
Very nice site!
11.18.09 3:03 AM PST
Pharmc804
Very nice site!
11.18.09 2:08 PM PST
Pharmb843
Very nice site!
11.19.09 11:17 AM PST
Pharmd227
Very nice site!
Post your comment