Japanese startup makes baby carrier-style sling for 'Love Robots'

Japanese startup Groove X will on Saturday stage fittings for a wearable sling - somewhat akin to baby carriers - designed to let owners of "Love Robots" more easily carry the machines wherever they go. The robots in question are called LOVOTs – a name that combines the words Love and Robot to reflect the creations' intended …

[Anonymous Coward]

No tentacles?

I will pass thanks.

[Kane]

Re: No tentacles?

I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going!

[Jedit]

"I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going!"

I haven't seen any hentai, but I've heard enough to know where the tentacles are going!

[bombastic bob]

I thought my brain would explode...

when i saw "love robots" and "baby carrier-style sling" in the same sentence...

(fortunately I read the article)

[Cederic]

Re: I thought my brain would explode...

..then I saw the picture and really worried.

[Robert Helpmann??]

Re: I thought my brain would explode...

"LOVOTs are only sold in Japan – either on subscription or outright from ¥283,000 ($2,300) for a pre-loved unit."

Ew! Just ew! No amount of bleach is going to fix this!

[Pascal Monett]

"cuddling up to a furry machine"

Okay, I think the question of the sanity of the People Of The Rising Sun has been settled.

They're bonkers.

[Down not across]

Re: "cuddling up to a furry machine"

..and there I was thinking Tamagotchi (and the craze) were nuts.

[Shalghar]

Re: "cuddling up to a furry machine"

I would say that those "love bots" are just one of the next evolutionary steps after the tamagotchis crawled out of the poisoned sea of electronic waste.

I hate to remember the affection one of the girls i knew had towards that beeping annoyance. Offering to install a stop switch on the clock circuit so that she could actually live her life not controlled by the beep egg was met by considerale aggression. And no, she was not of asian origin.

[Sceptic Tank]

Where did I put my calendar? I need to check a date.

[GlenP]

Sadly:

https://lovot.life/en/

[Anonymous Coward]

I've gone through that with a fine tooth comb and it's real alright, even the specs look technically correct.

[Paul Kinsler]

it's real alright

Some years back the Independent published an april fools story claiming that scientists had discovered an eighth colour in the rainbow. Most amusing.

But as it happened, such a thing had indeed been discovered. By William Herschel, no less, way back in 1800. :-)

DOI: 10.1098/rstl.1800.0015

(open access, and well worth a read, imo)

[Mog_X]

Re: it's real alright

Octarine?

GNU Terry Pratchett

[Shalghar]

Re: it's real alright

"Some years back the Independent published an april fools story claiming that scientists had discovered an eighth colour in the rainbow. Most amusing."

Octarine ? But i thought that was only (in)visible on worlds with sufficient thaumathurgic radiation ?

[Mark 85]

Many times, reality is far more insane than anyone could dream up for April 1st.

[Kevin McMurtrie]

The original Japanese site has videos to give you nightmares. They're emotional support toys that send status updates and video feeds to the owner's cellphone.

[Shalghar]

So to know i am sad i have to interact with frankensteins teddy who then sends that info to my phone so that i can then read that i feel sad ?

There are comparable "over teched" things mentioned on an appropriate website.

http://theworstthingsforsale.com/2013/12/03/egg-minder-a-wi-fi-egg-tray/

[KittenHuffer]

Yeah, I was looking for the "posting of the day" as well, and I thought I'd found it ...... until I checked and it turns out to be a real thing!!!

WTF is up with this world that I'm mistaking real stories for April Fool's jokes?!?

[Steve Button]

It's a bit elaborate that they have gone to the trouble of setting up a fake web site? Because, this isn't real right? Tell me this isn't real??

[Charlie Clark]

Lots of April Fools involve setting up websites. For techies, it's part of the fun.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wish that www.realhamster.com didn't spring into my mind. But it did. Sorry.

[Charlie Clark]

I didn't look but, oh, where's the goatse gone?

[wolfetone]

"Yeah, I was looking for the "posting of the day" as well, and I thought I'd found it ...... until I checked and it turns out to be a real thing!!!"

So hard to tell this year, especially as the 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 race has been nominated for a BAFTA.

[TeeCee]

I see where you're coming from, but you couldn't make this up.

[diodesign]

Un-fool

This year we tried to do an April unFool. There's so much weird and bad stuff happening that taking something completely bonkers but real and running it straight might be more amusing that a corny obvious AF joke.

C.

[wolfetone]

Re: Un-fool

Well played, well played.

[b0llchit]

Monetize it

...$$$...for a pre-loved unit.

That could mean a second hand market, where your post-loved units are cheaper?

Or, maybe better, it can be combined with the NFT market, where you can buy LOVE-tokens to install in the pre-loved unit to make it increasingly loveable for some time. Used LOVE units may be returned to the blockchain for added value. Your valuation will depend on the amount of LOVE you show the unit.^(*)

_{^(*)Terms and conditions apply. Added LOVE will be subject to corporate evaluation and the sound/camera system may be used to assist any evaluation. All LOVE-tokens are subject to a 30% commission, payable in USD.}

[Evil Auditor]

Re: Monetize it

That could mean a second hand market, where your post-loved units are cheaper come at a huge price premium.

Here, fixed that for youthe Japanese market.

[Tom 7]

I had a shoulder holster made for my Psion 5

But I had to take it out to use it but it was bloody useful. Now I'm wondering it one of these for a laptop/tablet might actually be quite a boon. I must say I find the Japanese delight in robot toys a little disturbing but then they'd probably find my desire to do a bit of coding in the pub 'while I still can remember the light bulb moment I've just had' a bit weird too. I can see problems with ripping charging/network sockets out of walls but as I'm leaving it will be someone elses problem.

[H in The Hague]

Re: I had a shoulder holster made for my Psion 5

"Now I'm wondering it one of these for a laptop/tablet might actually be quite a boon."

Like one of these?

https://setwear.com/products/ipad-radio-chest-pack

Designed for use on film sets, in theatres, etc.

[The commentard formerly known as Mister_C]

I for one

would like to praise El Reg for an April 1st story that demonstrates that the truth is truly stranger than any fiction.

For the Reg team ---->

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd think Japan is a very weird place, but then I think of all the "man from Florida" type articles in the news, and I realize the media just likes to dig up the weird and clickable. :)