Friday, April 18, 2008

Evolution Robotics, Bandai Team On Camera Phone Search

Pasadena-based Evolution Robotics, the Idealab-backed startup developing robotics technology, and Japanese firm Bandai Networks Co. Ltd. said Thursday that KDDI Corporation will include Evolution Robotics' "ER Search" visual search engine on a line of camera phones. According to the companies, the technology will allow consumers in Japan to do online searches by taking pictures with their camera phones. ER Search -- which is operated by Bandai and based on Evolution's ViPR visual pattern recognition software -- allows users to snap pictures of any item and find relevant content. The firm said that the software can be used to take pictures of a music CD and get links to an artist, and album, or allow a user to purchase songs, along with other similar applications. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed.