MI RAI-RT robot: It sings, it dances, it speaks English

From the creators of AIBO comes MI RAI-RT, another in a growing line of moving, entertaining, and “speaking” robots.

MI RAI-RT can do all sorts of fun things, like sing and dance and even speak. The makers are quick to point out that the robot can speak English, which means that it can teach English as well. That should be a good selling point in Japan.

One fun function that is bound to get a lot of press is the message function. MI RAI-RT can deliver 3D messages using RTML, which is, as you would suspect, stands for Robot Transaction Markup Language. The robot, all 13 inches of him, can speak the message and act out the contents, making it more fun than a barrel full of AIBOs.

You can get the MI RAI-RT for US$2,495 beginning October 31.