Baby simulator surfaces in Japan, Devo wants its mascot back (video)

When we first saw Yotaro baby simulator we thought: “we’ve seen this ugly robot before.” And no, weren’t thinking about Keiko, the robot patient currently seeing action in teaching hospitals in Japan. It just so happens that robot in question has more than a passing resemblance to Booji Boy, a character beloved to Devo fans world-wide. The robot, developed at the University of Tsukuba, is designed to teach people about childcare and parenting by portraying various facial expressions, movements, and physiological traits associated with babies, relying on a Rube Goldberg-esque array of water tanks, projectors, sensors, and sophisticated emotion control software to respond to your actions appropriately. If you think it looks strange above, wait until you see it in action! Check it out after the break.