Life-size Google Android robot is controlled by your smart phone

Google's green Android image is fast becoming iconic and -- wouldn't you know it -- those crazy Japanese have only gone and made a real-life robotic imitation.

Tuesday's Google Developer Day in Tokyo saw the debut of the moving, dustbin-shaped 'RIC Android'. As mentioned by Robots Dreams, it may be the first robot to run completely on Android.

We've already seen Android mobile phones and tablets, but life-size, humanoid robots are quite a step forward. Measuring 1.3m tall, the robot can produce sounds and play music, walk on two legs, swing its hands and head, rotate left and right, and even open up its bonce. As you can see from the video below, it's also rather cute.

Development of the RIC Android took around two months. Its brain consists of the Armadillo-500 FX hardware platform. You control it by sending commands over Wi-Fi from an Android handset. 

Robot experts RT Corporation and Android developers Brilliant Service worked jointly on the RIC Android. It was built based on the robots found inside moving stuffed animals.

The Japanese companies see a future for what may initially appear to be pointless technology. One potential use is 'life blogging', whereby the robot participates as a family member, recording video and audio, and essentially documenting your existence, no matter how mundane it actually is. It could also be used simply for entertainment purposes. After all, who doesn't like seeing robots wobbling around?

Image credit: Robots Dreams