Much assembly required for new robot

Review

By Yuri Kageyama

updated 7:54 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2006

TOKYO - After more than eight grueling hours of screwing parts together, my arm was sore and my mind numb. But when the 13-inch-tall robot finally took its first teetering steps, I was moved like a proud parent.

You don't have to be a scientist, or even very smart, to play with Manoi AT01. But there's a catch: A lot of work is required to get it going.

The $1,260 machine, which can walk, wave its arms and do other simple moves, comes in a kit that requires assembly — a sprawling, mind-boggling concoction of matchbox-size motors, plastic Lego-like parts, twisted wiring, 200 tiny screws and a 100-page manual.

Manoi — inspired by the word "humanoid" — is one of the few mass-produced robots meant for your living room rather than the research lab.

It's going on sale this month in Japan, and Tokyo-based Kyosho Corp., more known for radio-controlled models, has no plans so far to take overseas orders.

Robots are a niche market, even in gadget-crazy Japan. But it appears to be a loyal crowd, numbering nearly 10,000, according to Kyosho, enough to keep several companies like it afloat.

Kyosho says advance orders are going well for Manoi, which comes with a mask-like casing for the head, body and limbs that gives it a childlike appearance — an addition that has helped widen its appeal to newcomers.

I was one of those newcomers, totally clueless about what I was getting myself into.

I got hands-on guidance from Kazuho Shiroma, a Kyosho robot expert, who has been known to assemble three Manoi robots in a single sitting.

But on average, people who have built test models of Manoi or tried out earlier versions of such robots take at least a couple of days to complete Manoi.

Up to now, Japan's most popular home robot was the dog-shaped Aibo from Sony Corp., which came with a digital camera in its head to recognize objects. Aibo wasn't very profitable for the Japanese electronics and entertainment company and has been discontinued.

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