Sharp RoboHon, Cute Little Robot Smartphone With Pico Projector, Sparks R2D2 Envy

Is that a robot in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? We’ve seen some crazy contraption come out of Japan over the years, but this is one of the cutest and most intriguing products that has come across our news desk. The gadget in question is called the RoboHon, and at first glance it looks like a friendly little robot — and you wouldn’t be wrong to make such an assumption.

But RoboHon, which is manufactured by Sharp, has a whole gaggle of tricks up its sleeve including the ability to walk, stand up, sit down, and even dance. RoboHon is also incredibly “intelligent” with the capacity to understand voice commands, identify faces using visual identification software, and even blast music or play games with its human handlers. And that’s not all, the robot functions as a smartphone (although you’ll probably look like a little weird holding this miniature robot up to your ear) and can even double as a miniature projector for your photos and videos.

The RoboHon has a 1.2GHz quad-core MSM 8926 processor for a brain and includes LTE and 802.11n connectivity. You’ll also find a 2-inch QVGA touch screen display on its back to help you navigate through option screens and use as the camera’s viewfinder.

Given its ability to understand and its knack for “breaking it down” on the dance floor, RoboHon would be the perfect gift that any tech geek wouldn’t mind having under the Christmas tree. Throw in the phone and pico projector functionality, and you have a device that is more than just a conversation piece that graces your desk.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing for the RoboHon or if it will ever make its way stateside. But we do know that it will be available in Japan early next year.