Monday, July 9, 2001		Lens on IT

Three-year-old Samantha Kraft plays with the first Sony AIBO, short for Artificially Intelligent Robot, at its Australian launch in Sydney. AIBO is the world's first artificially intelligent entertainment robot and Samantha and her family are the first Australians to receive their order of the robotic companion. Selling for around US$1,500, about 95,000 units worldwide have been sold since their launch in November last year. The robot can sit, beg, roll-over and chase a ball.

A feline character called The Russian, is pictured in a scene from the new Warner Bros. comedy "Cats & Dogs," that opened nationwide. Using a combination of live action, sophisticated puppetry and computer animation, the movie features a voice cast of actors Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Joe Pantoliano and Jon Lovitz.

Japanese toymaker Tsukuda Original Co Ltd employee Takashi Asanome smiles as he operates a toy version of the humanoid robot Pino, designed by Japanese venture firm ZMP Inc, during a demonstration in Tokyo. ZMP said it would sell licenses to firms that wish to market products based on Pino's design, a robot named after "Pinocchio" with a long pointy nose and humanoid features. The first such tie-up will be with Tsukuda Original which will begin selling dolls and models resembling Pino starting next month.

Two Thai school boys, Saravut Kaewrod (R) and Sumet Boonaiem, demonstrate their invention -- a robot which can play music at a technology exhibition in Bangkok. The robot, seen playing a traditional Thai bamboo mouth organ, can play more than 100 Thai and foreign songs.

— Reuters photos