Press Release
February 28, 2005

A New Robot for the "Broadband Ubiquitous" Era
SGI Japan and Flower Robotics Begin Mannequin Robot Business
A New Collaboration Following in the Footsteps of the "Posy" Project

  SGI Japan, Ltd. has announced that Flower Robotics Inc. (Director: Tatsuya Matsui) and SGI Japan will begin business selling "Palette" mannequin robots. SGI Japan and Flower Robotics have previously developed a new type of navigation robot, "Posy", that has been acclaimed worldwide as a message of symbiosis between humans and robots. Building on this achievement, the two companies will develop and sell the "Palette" robots targeted at the fashion and service industries.

  As opposed to traditional mannequins displayed in showcases and department store floors, mannequin robots can detect human movements and react accordingly. The robots can move in motions and strike poses that have been computer-captured from fashion models, showing the clothes in the best light so that the store can maximum their benefit and create new and high value from the showcase.

  Combined with SGI Japan's "Broadband Ubiquitous" technologies, the mannequin robot can capture various marketing data including numbers and movements of customers coming in and out of the store. Also, combining the mannequin robot with security technologies can create a high-performance security environment much friendlier than the existing security system that uses traditional surveillance cameras.

  Palette is available in a full-body model and an upper torso (bust) model. The full-body model performs fashion model movements and poses while the upper torso model, ideal for things such as jewelry, uses programmed motion and lighting to showcase its products.

  Since the advent of industrial robots, the robot industry has diversified into fields such as bipedal humanoid robots and disaster relief rescue robots. While much focus has been put on development of robot capabilities through technological research, little efforts have been made to develop new robot applications.

  Internationally renowned robot designer Tatsuya Matsui has been creating robots that can coexist with humans from the design point of view. By integrating robots into the mannequin market, Mr. Matsui has created a mannequin robot that can play its own part and can fit into human environments. SGI Japan will integrate its various information technologies into this mannequin robot to commercialize it as a new media in the "Broadband Ubiquitous" era.

  Mannequin robots are designed to be placed in stores and department store showcases as well as reception rooms, museums, and other businesses such as automobile dealerships.

(c)Flower Robotics Inc./SGI Japan, Ltd.	(c)Flower Robotics Inc./SGI Japan, Ltd.
[ Mannequin robots 1]	[ Mannequin robots 2]

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***Contact: SGI Japan, Ltd. E-mail:koho@sgi.co.jp TEL: +81-3-5488-1834