But were they touching us?

It may not seem likely that they may have a direct impact on our daily lives anytime soon. Partly, because not everyone of us knows how to play the violin or trumpet and therefore it is very difficult to appreciate what it takes to master these instruments. Further, if you are not an engineer it is hard to imagine the meta- and learning skills required to create a machine that virtuously plays an instrument.
To most of us – and I spoke to some – it was not very colorful to watch some machine do something we cannot fully comprehend. The robots remained something very distant.

But watch now! These robotic musicians will soon be able to run like this newly unveiled running robot:

Does this humaniod-like thing  make you think? These movements – don’t they seem real? I think this is colorful. I can imagine how one of these knocks my door any moment …

This running robot has impressive specifications according to the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Blog: the Partner Robot (as it is called by toyota) weights only 50 kgs and is only 130 cm tall. That’s a very practical size giving the possiblity for countless missions in our daily lifes. Potentially it fits through your door, it could stand next to you while cooking, it could bring the morning newspaper, mail and milk right to your breakfast table (which of course the robot laid). It could instantly document what you are doing on twitter and have its own facebook account and be your friend … (uh!?)

But besides these humanoid phantasies, roborts are being developed for short-distance personal transport at home, for crossing streets or moving through a city in a combination of personal and public transport systems. Transporting patients, bed-bath support and other special abilities in the field of medical care or nursing are being researched.

So in reality there are plenty of areas where robots can be made useful besides in manufactureing.

I don’t know what you think! But I believe that PAHs (Personal Assistant for Humans) for the mainstream will surely become a hot market in the not too distant future!

If you are new to the field of robotics I recommend skimming over this one page (pdf-file) on the development and future initiatives of the partner robots. You get the idea of the usefulness of robots even quicker by looking at Toyota’s overview of the project to develop partner robots designed to function as personal assistants for humans.

The event is organized by the Tiroler Zukunftsstiftung and takes place at the Congress in Innsbruck (Tyrol, Austria). Here is the program ( in German) and here you can signup.

I am already looking forward to seeing some of you there.

Update: Here you can download slides.

1. Robotics

2. Genetic engineering (my favorite!)

3. Zero-gravity/zero-g

4. Deep space

5. Ion drive

6. Pressure suit

7. Virus

8. Worm

9. Gas giant

This fall I went on vacation with my brand new Touch Diamond. It is a really great device. It amazes me how much technology is packed into this tiny phone! It is definetely a masterpiece. There is only one thing that really surprised me: Windows Mobile Remote Desktop Client (WMRDC) IS MISSING!

So I emailed with HTC-support back and forth to learn that it was simply not part of their HTC Rom image. I will spare all details: Microsoft has made Mobile Remote Desktop Client an optional component (see the Windows Mobile Version Comparison Matrix). Now it is up to the OEMs wether they include WMRDC or not.

Part of one of the answers I got from HTC’s mastersupport reads as following “… and I feel it unlikely that it (WMRDC) will be added to any future ROM releases unless there is massive complaints of end users – which we are not receiving.”

With all the hits I get on google instantly (>26,000 google) I cannot believe there aren’t many customers who would like to have WMRDC. So I decided to make it as easy as possible for everyone with a need of WMRDC to be heard.

If you think WMRDC would be useful for you, I suggest you best do two things:

1. leave a comment here. So everyone can see transparently how many users would like to have WMRDC on their HTC-device. Once there are enough comments I will aproach HTC again.

AND additionally

2. contact HTC directly using their support form (http://www.htc.com/www/CS_Mail.aspx).

Leave a comment to plead with HTC to include Windows Mobile Remote Desktop Client into Touch Diamond and all current ROMs. Let’s see wether we will be enough happy users of HTC devices to make them care!