Chapok/Chapek

I believe David Calkins still hasn't decided yet wether to call his robot Chapok or Chapek - after being introduced as Chapok last year, I took the bot's name to be a variation of the Czech writer's name Chapek, who first used the term robot in literature (early 20th century). But then I noticed David referencing to it as Chapek sometime during 2006 - and subsequently asked him before ROBOEXOTICA 2006 for the current correct name ... which was to be Chapek ... I thought! Because during ROBÖXOTICA David kept calling his cocktailrobot Chapok quite consistenly!

So ... whatever! Although Chapok/Chapek was struggling with technical difficulties again (speech module burned out after first night) he was performing well enough on the first evening to impress international press with his conversation skills (see Reuters-report) as well as his cocktail serving qualities, which kept working well all through the show.

Obviously standing out among the other cocktailrobots shown with his anthropomorphic looks Chapok encouraged people to react to him emotionally even when technical failure had rendered him silent - a phenomenon reported earlier by Tom Heike, whose Robofriend is also being talked to a lot.

Update: For a little Czech-lesson / background on the naming - go to Suicidebots!