ZMP, a Japanese robotic company based in Tokyo, has developed the first Network music player equipped with the latest Robotics Technology, with the name of [miuro].

The Miuro let us enjoy music by automatically moving itself to the place of our preference. With new technology the user just point at the place he wants to see and the robot will autonomously move to the target position and send a picture via the wireless network it takes of that place it as a sign of the completion of its task.

Besides checking on the state of the room, it allows to give the family at home the present of music. Miuro can connect to iPod, or accept music streaming wirelessly from local network. Audio Formats like WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF and LPCM will be supported.

The robot uses its camera, distance and touch sensors to build an internal map of the rooms in which the user wants to listen music and autonomously moves to them. With miuro you can enjoy music wherever you want to.

When used on the floor, the user can press the [Floor mode] button and enjoy while sitting in a sofa of a direct sound. If put on a table, this sound can be enjoyed by pressing on the [Table mode] button. The tuning was performed using DiMAGIC's tool uphony.

The robot stages a dance using its LEDs and its peculiar two-wheeled high freedom twist movement that goes with the music using ZMP original algorithms.

To put emphasis on the mobility of the robot, the design include big-size wheels which become the most recognizable characteristic of the robot. Using the big space of the wheels ZMP have integrate the speakers as a wheel cover.

The mainstream speakers sacrifice the clarity of the medium tones in order to reinforce the low tones while reducing the extension of the sweet spot. miuro on the other hand balances low, medium and high tones ensuring a clear register even in the presence of lows。In order to make this possible, ZMP has collaborated with Kenwood under the direction of its Sound Meister responsible for the high quality of that company characterized by Original Sound reproduction.

Both sides' omni-directional woofers carry the medium-low tones and both sides' soft dome type tweeters carry the high tones in a way that their combination sound natural and pleasing to the ear. By separating the tweeters and woofers, the design permits an independent stereo sound with a high realistic sensation. To avoid oscillation and reverberation the enclosure has a 2-layer shell, permitting a rich and ample sound, and eliminating resonance and noise.

Weight 5kg, Length 34cm, Battery operation time approx 3 to 4 hours (Optional High Capacity Battery = 6 to 8 Hours). iPod can be connected to miuro and operated with a remote control. Other players can also be connected but have to be manually controlled. Playable formats include the current audio formats (WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF, LPCM）
The robot is operated with a remote control, can play iPod and plays Net Radio connected through wireless LAN (802.11b/g).

First Shipments of the Miuro is scheduled at December this year with 500 to 1000 units. The company expects to sell more than ten thousand units in the first year. The main unit will cost 900 USD, which has the following features:

• Network Audio Function
• Remote control Motion Function
• Dancing & Illumination
• Sweet Spot（Frontal Position）Self Positioning Function

Autonomous Motion module (170 USD) is an optional add-on to let the Miuro move around your home automatically at your choice. To access the Miuro through your mobile phone, you will need to purchase the Remote Communication module at 130 USD.

Source 1 [k-tai] / Source 2 [itmobile]

Note: ZMP is also the company behind the Nuvo Robot