You Can Now Own Keepon, the Robot in that Spoon Video

Keepon is that rare technology that goes from prototype to consumer more or less intact

Christopher Mimsarchive page

September 16, 2011

Keepon, invented in Japan, was originally designed to explore just how simple a robot can be and still interact with humans. The little yellow robot was, from the beginning, designed to be as accessible as possible. Hence its appearance in a video by the band Spoon.

Now some are talking about using Keepon in the treatment of autism, and of course there’s the projected holiday rush for Keepon, which is finally available to the public.

Westerners, especially, tend to fear robots, but that’s as much because of cultural baggage as our tendency to specialize in the kind that kill people. Keepon, and robots like it, are part of an effort to make our semi-autonomous friends as accessible as R2-D2. The alternative, which nobody wants, is the Uncanny Valley:

Keep Reading

Most Popular

These materials were meant to revolutionize the solar industry. Why hasn’t it happened?

Perovskites are promising, but real-world conditions have held them back.

Casey Crownhartarchive page

Workers disinfect the street outside Shijiazhuang Railway Station

Why China is still obsessed with disinfecting everything

Most public health bodies dealing with covid have long since moved on from the idea of surface transmission. China’s didn’t—and that helps it control the narrative about the disease’s origins and danger.