After watching Honda's Asimo conduct the Detroit Symphony, Toyota's distressed team of robots hopped a box car with a jug of wine and wound up leaning in and kicking out a clear harmonic cry to some corporate goons in Japan. The band consists of a couple repurposed DJ Robots and new Partner Robots. While laudable, there's not enough ecstasy for us, not enough life, joy, kicks, darkness, music... not enough night. Video after the break, Jack.

Uh oh, it looks like we've got a full-fledged robot controversy on our hands. At the heart of it, as you might have guessed, is the recent obliteration of a harmless Pleo by a so-called ComBot known as Vicious Verdict at Maker Faire 2008. According to a UGOBE rep posting on the PleoWorld forum, the company is having none of it, saying that the "stunt" was done without its authorization or approval, and that there was "quite a ruckus" about it in UGOBE's office after they learned of the incident. The rep went on to add that many people, including the UGOBE reps at their Maker Faire booth were "shocked and appalled" by the act, and that they "make emotional bonds with Pleo too." The rep did seemingly confirm that the Pleo in question was in fact provided by the company, however, saying that, "it is perhaps a small consolation to know that the Pleo destroyed was a factory prototype." A cuddly, cuddly factory prototype.

[Via Tech Digest]

We've seen a number of modular, reassembling robots already, but that doesn't make 'em any less unnerving, especially when we see them doing their thing on video. As you can see for yourself after the break, this latest batch of bots from the University of Pennsylvania seem to be capable enough, with them able to be kicked apart and find their way back together again, albeit somewhat slowly. That's done with the aid of a camera that seeks out the unique blinkin' lights of another robot, which it is able to dock with using some magnets and then start the search for another bot all over again, eventually forming into a slightly unstable walking robot (be sure to stick with video 'till the end for that).

[Via Futurismic]

We could go on about the uBOT-5's ability to detect when a person has fallen down, check their vital signs, and dial 911 -- but, seriously, is there anything we can possibly add to that picture?

[Via Digg]

ZMP's Miuro may have been doing the whole music-playing, rolling robot thing even before Sony's Rolly stole the spotlight, but it had the slight disadvantage of costing nearly $1,000. The company now looks to be changing that situation, however, with it teaming up with Sega Toys to release a slightly scaled-back but considerable cheaper version of the iPod dock, now dubbed the Music Robot ODO. Among other things, this one drops the built-in WiFi and camera of the Miuro, although it does hang onto the LCD that displays the ODO's "emotion" as it's dancing, and you do get a remote control to keep it from straying too far. No word on a release 'round these parts, naturally, but those in Japan can snag one for the not unreasonable cost of ¥15,540, or about $150.

We both fear and heart our cuddly, skull crushing robotic overlords here at Engadget; that we can't deny. Now meet the work of Nemo Gould, artist of post-consumer waste, liege, and robot supreme commander. His latest work entitled Little Big Man is on display at the San Jose Museum of Art for the new Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon show. The 8-foot tall Big Man is made from a vintage radio cabinet, street light poles, and of course, antlers among other human scrap and squander. Little Man sits at the heart of the beast and pulls the levers which drive the malice from within. Check the video clip after the break.

[Via Technabob]