SlashGear Japan
It might look like the latest entertainment robot from NEC, but in fact this anthropomorphic little chubb is actually a citrus juicer. At which point you’re probably thinking “where’s the ‘gear’ in a juicer, you daft wassock?” which just goes to show how bloody judgemental you are; the L’Equip is a computer controlled juicer.
Before you get too excited, that doesn’t mean it comes with a USB port, WiFi for downloading the latest fruit headlines and a variety of social networking modes. We’re talking computer controlled as in it monitors performance to make sure the juicing head neither spins so fast as to shred the fruit, nor so slow that it rots in your hand before the glass is full.
The poseable arms that help to give it that faceless-penguin appearance are actually functional: flip them down and juice can fill two glasses at once; flip one up if it’s just you enjoying orange, grapefruit, tangerine, clementine, lemon or lime. It’s intended to be ridiculously simple to use, and I guess it achieves that. Whether I’d pay $100 for it, I’m not so sure!
