"Guard-Dragon" robot with sense of smell–and sense of style.

Xeni Jardin 9:05 am Tue Nov 12, 2002

Japanese robotics company tmsuk (say: "tem-zack") has teamed up with Sanyo to develop an improved model of its home-robot Banryu–which means "guard-dragon." As in, even badder than a "guard-dog."

The prototype looks like what would happen if you mated an iMac with a gargoyle. Sort of a hip, futuristic reptile. Product is scheduled for consumer release in 2003.

Among recent design improvements, Banryu's speed has been increased from 3 meters/min. to 15meters/min. Pretty darn fast for a robot moving around inside, say, a small Tokyo residential apartment. The 'bot can also navigate over gaps exceeding 10 cm, and has the ability to sense height via sensors on its legs.

Pics on the Banryu-bot's home page, here (Japanese text only). From a news article today:

"The robot also [has] 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 odor with practical accuracy. With the sensor the robot will be able to detect 'burnt scent' which is known to occur in the atmosphere preceding a fire."

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