Hitachi EMIEW 2 Gets Upgraded Voice Recognition And Driving Performance [Video]

We love when robots of yester-year get upgraded to today's standards. Especially when you think about the competition out there, upgrades are the only way to go. When it comes to the Hitachi EMIEW 2, it's been quite awhile since we've heard anything about the little guy. Thankfully, Hitachi didn't forget about it, and they've managed to plug the red 'bot with some much-needed upgrades, bringing the object of the future into the 21st century.

The EMIEW 2, which stands for Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Work-Mate . . . 2, has just gotten upgrades to voice recognition and its overall driving performance. When the EMIEW 2 hit the scene a couple of years ago, it was unique in that it had wheels for feet. Pretty standard now-a-days, but still, it stands out for being one of the originals. With the upgrade, EMIEW 2 can now drive up to 6km/h, which means that it should be able to keep pace with people as it rolls along side them. It can now also step over objects, just in case they're too big to roll over.

Also, it's designed to be a work-mate, so if it does need to carry something, it can actually bend over a bit, carry the load, and then scoot around, making sure that the weight is evenly distributed. But, to make things better, it's also been given adaptive suspension control technology, making it far more stable when its rolling over uneven ground. The legs move independently of one another, making this easier. We're not sure when this might actually get released into the wild, but considering Vietnam's TOPIO Dio, we consider the race to be on.

[via Plastic Pals]