At a university lab in a Tokyo suburb, engineering students are wiring a rubbery robot face to simulate six basic expressions: anger, fear, sadness, happiness, surprise and disgust.

Hooked up to a database of words clustered by association, the robot -- dubbed Kansei, or "sensibility" -- responds to the word "war" by quivering in what looks like disgust and fear. It hears "love," and its pink lips smile.

Dude, we're not in the Uncanny Valley any more; researchers at Japan's Robot and Science Institute are taking us for a stroll through the freaking Leatherface Valley with Kansei, a creepy new robot with a vocabulary of over 430,000 words that's designed to react emotionally to whatever it's discussing. If you've been waiting for a robot that can turn that frown upside down this is it — researchers have taught Kansei how to smile when it's happy and frown when it's sad by using word association software to build an artificial intelligence program that allows the bot to make judgements about whether it likes something or not.

There are robots serving as receptionists, vacuuming office corridors, spoon-feeding the elderly. They serve tea, greet company guests and chatter away at public technology displays. Now startups are marching out robotic home helpers.

"To live among people, robots need to handle complex social tasks," said project leader Junichi Takeno of Meiji University. "Robots will need to work with emotions, to understand and eventually feel them.
While robots are a long way from matching human emotional complexity, the country is perhaps the closest to a future -- once the stuff of science fiction -- where humans and intelligent robots routinely live side by side and interact socially.
Robots are already taken for granted in Japanese factories, so much so that they are sometimes welcomed on their first day at work with Shinto religious ceremonies. Robots make sushi. Robots plant rice and tend paddies.

They aren't all humanoid. The Paro is a furry robot seal fitted with sensors beneath its fur and whiskers, designed to comfort the lonely, opening and closing its eyes and moving its flippers.
For Japan, the robotics revolution is an imperative. With more than a fifth of the population 65 or older, the country is banking on robots to replenish the work force and care for the elderly.

In the past several years, the government has funded a plethora of robotics-related efforts, including some $42 million for the first phase of a humanoid robotics project, and $10 million a year between 2006 and 2010 to develop key robot technologies.

The government estimates the industry could surge from about $5.2 billion in 2006 to $26 billion in 2010 and nearly $70 billion by 2025.
Besides financial and technological power, the robot wave is favored by the Japanese mind-set as well.
Robots have long been portrayed as friendly helpers in Japanese popular culture, a far cry from the often rebellious and violent machines that often inhabit Western science fiction.
This is, after all, the country that invented Tamagotchi, the hand-held mechanical pets that captivated the children of the world.

Japanese are also more accepting of robots because the native Shinto religion often blurs boundaries between the animate and inanimate, experts say. To the Japanese psyche, the idea of a humanoid robot with feelings doesn't feel as creepy -- or as threatening "But then again, Japan's the only country in the world where everyone has an electric toilet," he said. "We could be looking at a robotics revolution."
Still, Japan faces a vast challenge in making the leap -- commercially and culturally -- from toys, gimmicks and the experimental robots churned out by labs like Takeno's to full-blown human replacements that ordinary people can afford and use safely.
"People are still asking whether people really want robots running around their homes, and folding their clothes," said Damian Thong, senior technology analyst at Macquarie Bank in Tokyo.

That revolution has been going on quietly for some time.

Japan is already an industrial robot powerhouse. Over 370,000 robots worked at factories across Japan in 2005, about 40 percent of the global total and 32 robots for every 1,000 Japanese manufacturing employees, according to a recent report by Macquarie, which had no numbers from subsequent years.
And they won't be claiming overtime or drawing pensions when they're retired.
"The cost of machinery is going down, while labor costs are rising," said Eimei Onaga, CEO of Innovation Matrix Inc., a company that distributes Japanese robotics technology in the U.S. "Soon, robots could even replace low-cost workers at small firms, greatly boosting productivity."

That's just what the Japanese government has been counting on. A 2007 national technology roadmap by the Trade Ministry calls for 1 million industrial robots to be installed throughout the country by 2025.
A single robot can replace about 10 employees, the roadmap assumes -- meaning Japan's future million-robot army of workers could take the place of 10 million humans. That's about 15 percent of the current work force.
"Robots are the cornerstone of Japan's international competitiveness," Shunichi Uchiyama, the Trade Ministry's chief of manufacturing industry policy, said at a recent seminar. "We expect robotics technology to enter even more sectors going forward."

Meanwhile, localities looking to boost regional industry clusters have seized on robotics technology as a way to spur advances in other fields.

Robotic technology is used to build more complex cars, for instance, and surgical equipment.

The logical next step is robots in everyday life.

At a hospital in Aizu Wakamatsu, 190 miles north of Tokyo, a child-sized white and blue robot wheels across the floor, guiding patients to and from the outpatients' surgery area.

The robot, made by startup Tmsk, sports perky catlike ears, recites simple greetings, and uses sensors to detect and warn people in the way. It helpfully prints out maps of the hospital, and even checks the state of patients' arteries.

"We feel this is a good division of labor. Robots won't ever become doctors, but they can be guides and receptionists," Narita said.

The Aizu Chuo Hospital spent about some $557,000 installing three of the robots in its waiting rooms to test patients' reactions. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, said spokesman Naoya Narita.

Still, the wheeled machines hadn't won over all seniors crowding the hospital waiting room on a weekday morning.
"It just told us to get out of the way!" huffed wheelchair-bound Hiroshi Asami, 81. "It's a robot. It's the one who should get out my way."
"I prefer dealing with real people," he said.

Another roadblock is money.

For all its research, Japan has yet to come up with a commercially successful consumer robot. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. failed to sell even one of its pricey toddler-sized Wakamaru robots, launched in 2003 as domestic helpers.
Though initially popular, Sony Corp. pulled the plug on its robot dog, Aibo, in 2006, just seven years after its launch. With a price tag of a whopping $2,000, Aibo never managed to break into the mass market.
One of the only commercially successful consumer robots so far is made by an American company, iRobot Corp. The Roomba vacuum cleaner robot is self-propelled and can clean rooms without supervision.
"We can pretty much make anything, but we have to ask, what are people actually going to buy?" said iRobot CEO Helen Greiner. The company has sold 2.5 million Roombas -- which retail for as little as $120 -- since the line was launched in 2002.

Still, with the correct approach, robots could provide a wealth of consumer goods, Greiner stressed at a recent convention.

Sure enough, Japanese makers are catching on, launching low-cost robots like Tomy's $300 i-Sobot, a toy-like hobby robot that comes with 17 motors, can recognize spoken words and can be remote-controlled.

Sony is also trying to learn from past mistakes, launching a much cheaper $350 rolling speaker robot last year that built on its robotics technology.
"What we need now isn't the ultimate humanoid robot," said Kyoji Takenaka, the head of the industry-wide Researchers at Osaka University, for instance, are developing a robot to better understand child development.

Robot Business Promotion Council.

"Engineers need to remember that the key to developing robots isn't in the lab, but in everyday life."
Still, some of the most eye-catching developments in robotics are coming out of Japan's labs.

The "Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body" is designed to mimic the motions of a toddler. It responds to sounds, and sensors in its eyes can see and react to people. It wiggles, changes facial expressions, and makes gurgling sounds.
The team leader, Minoru Asada, is working on artificial intelligence software that would allow the child to "learn" as it progresses.
"Right now, it only goes, 'Ah, ah.' But as we develop its learning function, we hope it can start saying more complex sentences and moving on its own will," Asada said. "Next-generation robots need to be able to learn and develop themselves."

For Hiroshi Ishiguro, also at Osaka University, the key is to make robots that look like human beings. His Geminoid robot looks uncannily like himself -- down to the black, wiry hair and slight tan.
"In the end, we don't want to interact with machines or computers. We want to interact with technology in a human way so it's natural and valid to try to make robots look like us," he said.

"One day, they will live among us," Ishiguro said. "Then you'd have to ask me: 'Are you human? Or a robot?'

We left Kuala Lumpur on afternoon, Saturday 5th April 2008 heading towards Simpang Pulai to meet up with Touge King along with Elaine and her nice boyfriend, Chris. We was all 4 cars which is Burn who was riding with Mail as his second pilot, Mat Gen and his girlfriend Yanie, Liroy and Dila who was riding with Blue and Azuri who was riding with his wife Mimie. We then later catching up with Zali a.k.a Kura and Roger in tapah Rest'n'Relax area for refreshment and later become 5 cars in total. We reach at Simpang Pulai more or less around 4 PM, two hours late from our schedule.

+ We stop for some leg streching after driving for a few hours. LOL..

+ First introduction to Cameron touge by Touge King, Elaine and Chris.

We then wait for TK, Elaine and Chris at the bottom of Cameron mountain pass. Once he arrived, he lead us to their playground up until their proposed end point in his new Satria Neo 'Black Knight' machine followed by Elaine and Chris in their Savvy. We then all stop for a short chit-chatting and photo shoot before we wave them goodbye and heading up to Cameron Highland. Since some of us bring their 'other-halves', that's mean we have to help them doing shopping. What else best in Cameron beside its snaky mountain pass for us touge lovers? Yes! For girls they go for Vegetables shopping. Flowers. Strawberries and a hell lots more. We even then later that night touge with our cars full with fresh flowers! LOL.

+ Uphill and downhill at Kea Farm

+ Blue with a hell lot of carrots.

We stop by Kea Farm, Rose Garden, Strawberry Park, Berinchang Night Market, Blue Valley and Tanah Rata for some shopping spree, food and pit stop for night pray before we heading down again to Simpang Pulai. As to our surprise, TK has invite most of Cameron Touge Team to join in the fun. Felix was there, Boy was there Hong was there, Jeremy was there too and it looked like everyone was there. Yay! We was so happy to had so many cars in touge - Sharing two things with one love and passion - Driving and Friendships!

+ Some nice hairpin turns and we believe it has never been published by anyone.

+ Now, isn't that looked like C=121 in Initial D?

Once we hit the downhill section, we were all guide by the Cameron Touge Team to a restaurant for some refreshment and later we all hit the touge again. This time it was pure fun as everyone go and hitting their car limit. Each corners being tackle at the average of 110 - 130km/h. Now what do you think? As we'said earlier, Cameron Touge Team is really good and they have skills to watch over. They even drift their machine and run sideways in mountain passes. Now that is very rare in a country like Malaysia. :D

+ Tanah Rata Town.

+ Berinchang night market.

We run uphill and downhill for one last time before we all parted and wave everyone goodbye and promises to see each others again in near future. Now, we are all has become one family!

We left Cameron Highlands through Simpang Pulai Highway exit at 2AM and reach Kuala Lumpur at 3.30AM. A very tiring day for us all. It was 10 hours of driving in the whole Cameron touge plus 3-4 hours of driving in highways make it 13-14 hours of non stop driving. Can you take that? Urghh.. We was all tired and exhausted but we was all having pure fun! Due to our slow internet connection, we promise to post the video later... For more info, please read TK's writing here.

Anyway, here a few pictures from many others... :cool:

KANSEI next expeditions stop - Bukit Tinggi touge in Pahang. ~ Date to be confirmed!

+ Girls and flowers cannot be separated.

+ Tea Session with Cameron Touge Team.

+ Tea Session with Cameron Touge Team.

+ Boy's newly owned the legendary TE72.

+ tea sessions.

+ The legendary TE72 with a Japanese words reading TOUGE with Team BC Machine sticker on it.

It's been one year since Burn first experienced driving on touge i.e Kuala Kelawang and puke right after that. It's been one year since Blue fisrt felt the rush of adrenalin riding on a car that felt like a roller coaster. It's been one year since Admiral actively running on touge's using car besides his old time with motorbike. It's been one year since Mhz helped and recommended to us his trusfull workshop and everyone was very happy to get a good price for repairing jobs. It's been one year when Azuri find his new touge friends after being a lonely driver for a few years. It's been one year for Zali lending his help through most of our difficult time in the team using his DIY knowledge. It's been a while for Mat Gen to know and feel the excitements of other touges beside Genting Highland...

This was all not really matter to us... What matter was, while in this wonderful one year with KANSEI, we has had an opportunity to make new friends along the way. Some we have met eye to eye. Some has send us a very nice emails and words, but hasn't got the chance to met yet and we must say that we really appreciate all that! It is always an honour for us to know this fantastic people and a very good driver such as...

• Shalie (Mirage RS) 
• OP (Optimus Prime)
• Liroy + Dila
• Apan (cre@tures)
• Mail (reckless driver)
• Pak Aji (soon to smoked everyone in KANSEI)
• DeOngster (Starlet EP71)
• Noel (Proton Waja)
• Kyle (Toyota SEG)
• Dan
• Eric
• Stanley (Ultra-Racing / R3)
• Rachel
• Cameron Touge King (Cameron Highland)
• Zoggee
• Ivan Khong (GRA Racing)
• Farina Racer & Members at E-Kereta Forum and Blog
• Eu Jin (Skyline ER-34 owner)
• Yaraul
• Jeri
• Don Bedu (Japan)
• Amir Farhan (Team Sublime - Malaysia)
• Matthew (Turbo charged Kelisa)
• Kazukimy (A31 Drifter)
• Driver Yg Sivik (Taiping - Batu Kurau touge enthusiast)
• Jean Marcel do Amaral (Team Vandal Wolf - Brazil)
• James Couey (USA)
• Johnny (US Rally Team, USA)
• LW (Team Super Speed - Italy)
• Jared & Tonia (Adelaide, Australia)
• Christian (Australia)
• Daniel Smith (New Zealand)
• Erick (Miami, USA)
• Kevin Amidzadeh (UK)
• Aaron Meyer (Unknown location)
• Andrew Barnecut (San Fransisco, USA)
• EG6 Driver (USA - And he promised to send us some porn stuff)

Plus many others that we can't remember their name... But you know who you are! We believe we will soon meet more and more people along our journey. We'll keep on riding on those passes until the final time come, then the team will be disband. But before that, all we can say is an outside expeditions is coming up next...

Hope to meet new friends in future without losing the current one! Lets spread the love and respectful words through touges and making new friends not enemy! Here we post some quote from the team members...

It was at this tense and glorious moment, that our KANSEI members stepped ahead and better. Long live everyone and KANSEI members! Happy driving on touges!

Admiral on Burn mishap and recovery

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Fearing the defeat can overshadow those beautiful plays. There's always a place where skill, joy, heart and honor rule the fields.

Blue on comparing Manchester United game with KANSEI

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The difference between touge drivers and other drivers (who pretend) is, touge drivers will step on the accelerator pedal instead of brake pedal when approaching a corner! Now, can I apply heel and toe on that roundabout?

Burn on practising his heel and toe rev match

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Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!! They've blocked me from viewing and entering touge fans thread! They've must blocked you too! Bloody Fuckhead!!!

Azuri on complaining some missing thread in local forum

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Janji ada minyak! Pasti ikut dia sampai rumah! (As long there's a fuel in my car. I'll tailgate him until his house!)

Mhz on tailgating Proton Wira that looked like a rally car

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Why did it sound like a VTEC while it's not a VTEC?

Zali on complaining his exhaust sound

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Thanks for sharing the joy and fun with me. I'll buy you guys Tandoori chicken soon!

Mat Gen on his promised to buy us Tandoori chicken

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Last but not least, some of the things that happen in one year of KANSEI...

• Azuri smoked Honda Civic Ferio in Ulu Yam (uphill)
• Shalie and Azuri smoked Subaru Impreza GC8 in Kuala Kelawang (uphill)
• Azuri smoked Nissan Sentra with SR20NA in Bukit Arang - Bukit Ampang (downhill)
• Admiral get married on March 2007
• KANSEI Discovered Cameron Touge King blog and become friend
• Blue accident in MRR2
• Burn smoked Toyota Corolla XL E in Ulu Yam (downhill)
• GRA Racing approached
• Azuri get married on June 2007
• Admiral smoked Burn in Bukit Ampang (downhill)
• Mhz smoked Wira - Rally style, not 1 but 5 cars in Ulu Yam (uphill)
• Azuri being smoked by EG6 with B16A - friends of Mhz in Ulu Yam (downhill)
• KANSEI 1st appeared in E-Kereta's blog
• Brazillian team (Vandal Wolf) approached
• KANSEI first met with DeOngster and friends in Kuala Kelawang
• Touge-R launched its weblog
• Azuri smoked MINI Cooper S in Ulu Yam (downhill)
• Mat Gen smoked Azuri in Genting Sempah (uphill)
• Mat Gen joined in KANSEI
• Burn smoked Azuri in Ulu Yam (uphill)
• Zali smoked Azuri in Ulu Yam (uphill)
• Italian team (Super Speed) approached
• Australian friends visit
• KANSEI nights out at Zouk Club KL
• Admiral smoked Blue in Bukit Arang (uphill)
• Blue smoke Zali in Bukit Arang (Uphill)
• Azuri smoked Mat Gen (uphill with video & downhill)
• KANSEI 1st video appeared on YouTube where Mat Gen was battling with Azuri uphill
• KANSEI appeared in E-Kereta's blog for the second time
• Blue smoked Azuri in Genting Sempah (downhill)
• KANSEI interviewed Cameron Touge King
• Burn jumped off the cliff at Genting Sempah (downhill)
• KANSEI being challenged by a touge team from UK (silly)
• KANSEI, Admiral and Azuri appeared and registered in Geng Turbo forum (Malaysia)
• KANSEI and Azuri appeared in EPMC forum (Malaysia)
• KANSEI and Touge King appeared in Modifikasi.com (Indonesia)
• KANSEI appeared in AE80 Toyota Corolla Groups Forum (Malaysia)
• KANSEI appeared in HillRaiders forum (Chinese version)
• ... And some other things that we might have drop along the way.

Thanks everyone for being our friends!! Without any of you, we couldn't be here promoting friendship along touges...

Kansei smiles at sushi, as he likes that … but say “president”, and well … like I said, it depends on the words and the associated keywords.

The English keywords then trigger the most appropriate facial expression, which ranges from happiness to sadness, anger and fear.

“What we are trying to do here is to create a flow of consciousness in robots so that they can make the relevant facial expressions,” said project leader Junichi Takeno, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology.

When the robot hears the word “president,” the online database picks up associated words such as “Bush,” “war” and “Iraq” and creates an expression which the researchers said is meant to mix fear and disgust. Source: Yahoo! News

I have to admit … it’s interesting that these Japanese scientists appear to have a sense of humor.

En el último seminario de los viernes del Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia (IBV) se presentó una Sección del Instituto cuyo función es facilitar el llevar a la práctica los resultados de I+D. El trabajo que realizan consiste en implicar a los usuarios en el proceso de convertir conocimiento resultante de los proyectos de I+D del IBV en aplicaciones preparadas para ser comercializadas. Los estudios de semántica y de diseño emocional permiten incorporar a las caracterí­sticas de un nuevo producto aquello que los potenciales usuarios perciben como relevante para decidir su uso y compra.
Las fases del proceso de diseño son:

A. Definición Estratégica. En la que se llega a un diseño conceptual.

B. Proyecto de Diseño. En la que se realiza el detalle del diseño, modelos 3D y modelos fí­sicos, cálculos biomecánicos, etc.

C. Validación del Producto. Con pruebas de uso, emocionales, de usabilidad, etc.

D. Lanzamiento, comercialización y seguimiento. En la que se definen estrategias de comunicación, de percepción en el entorno, y se incorporan mejoras en funcionalidad, etc.

Los usuarios pueden participar en los estudios de valoración de productos y servicios también a través de un 'Portal de Valoración de Productos'