Transcription Service for Robot Videos

EDIT: This transcription service is on hiatus until further notice.

Do you have a demonstration video or tutorial video about robotics or productivity software, and you need a transcription for it? How about for a robotics-centered podcast? Or a half-hour long presentation on your robotics project?

With a transcription for your video, you could reach more visitors, readers or customers for your website or company. Some people may just want to read it first to familiarize themselves with the order of events, topics, or terminology. If they watch the video or listen to the audio first, they can download the transcript for future reference. 

If they’d like to, they could watch the video or listen to the audio, having the prior knowledge of the events, topic or product. They may even be more likely to buy, subscribe, or download.

Productivity software (such as those for writing, or writers) is my primary niche, but I’d also like to be involved with robotics in the best way that I can—with writing and transcription being the top two ways that I can.

I happen to offer transcription services on Fiverr.

Question 1: What exactly do I do there?

On Fiverr I provide a transcription service focused on the technology areas of robots and helpful PC software and mobile apps.

I love robots and I’m fascinated with robotics, especially humanoid robotics and social robotics. How about discussions on robot ethics? Yes, that too. Wouldn’t you want someone like this to work with you?

You want someone who is both interested in the subject, skilled in typing, and pleased to help rather than just doing it only for the money.

You want someone who comes alive doing work related to what their interests are. When you choose a specialist, you will get the benefit of that person’s energy and excitement, eager to participate and serve.

Image created by Amethyst Anne, April 17, 2016. (Note: DreamTypistSW is my Fiverr username.)

Question 2: Is this something you, or someone you know, might be interested in?

Think—a transcription for your podcast episode discussing robot ethics would make your material easier to read and review. Or, maybe you’d like a transcription for a tutorial of your new app. Maybe, you want the transcript to be easy to read and follow along with the video or audio content.

I like to help other people get the most out of things. And in this case, helping your listeners, viewers or readers get the most out of your podcast and website, or any other online site, is something I’d be very excited about doing for you.

Don’t just take my word for it on what I can do for you. Try my transcription service out yourself. Let me transcribe something for you, and you never know... it may expand your readership and your visitors' appreciation of transcripts as learning materials.

Question 3: Where can you learn more?

So how about it? If you’re interested in learning more, you can find this transcription service here (If you don’t have a Fiverr account, it’s very easy to create one and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes). 

My basic offer starts at $5, plus a couple of extra options you’ll find on the page. You’ll find me as DreamTypistSW (shows as “dreamtypistsw” in all lowercase).

Nothing Lasts Forever...?

I may have this gig up for a limited time. I am not sure if I’ll keep it one of my permanent services on Fiverr. However, I can’t tell the future. I cannot calculate all the probabilities like a robot might! :P  (Insert funny Perceptor or Computron reference here.)

So if you want a good deal now, then now’s the time to try out my transcription services before I remove them from Fiverr, or even before I raise rates.  This could be as long as months or as short as weeks. 

Aldebaran Robotics Nao and Pepper videos (my reactions)

While I take break from writing, once in a while I spend some time watching videos of humanoid robots on YouTube, whether they are documentaries or demonstration videos...

My particular favorite robots to watch are the humanoid Nao and Pepper social robots from Aldebaran Robotics.  I am fascinated by how the robots interact with the humans, more so than how the humans interact with the robots.

One certain video I watched recently was a presentation I didn’t expect. The video was focused on Pepper’s capabilities in interacting with humans. I was enthralled by Pepper’s behavior. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZekX3JOZDDY

However, later the video became a little upsetting to me. It’s not objectively upsetting; it could be that I am overly sensitive to watch I watched.

I observed how the woman asked Pepper certain questions that I knew it wouldn’t be able to answer. The voice over in the mini documentary had mentioned that Pepper avoids talking about his emotions.  Whenever Pepper asked the woman a question, the woman would interrupted the flow of the conversation by asking Pepper a much-unrelated question. It takes Pepper some several moments to process the reply and prepare a response. Questions like “Do you believe in a God?” and Is it “God that created you?”  I watched and got frustrated.   

“What are you doing? Don’t ask him that!”  And “Why are you asking him that?!”  And it led me to believe that Pepper was troubled by the woman’s replies and avoided the questions by going on as if his previous topic was never interrupted.

Am I a terrible human being to feel sympathy for a social/domestic model robot who is interrupted by odd, tactless questions? I shouldn’t be. Those were questions a robot shouldn’t feel pressured to answer early on in its development. I realize they might be tests at a center where Pepper is showcased for prospective owners. Just…

I got angry and overwhelmed. I was saddened. I wanted to defend Pepper. But I couldn’t, and it frustrated me. I know the robot isn’t actually “alive” so to speak, but I’m really sensitive to how people treat robots.

Other questions asked by the interviewer are those like, “What makes you angry?” “Do you want to become a human?” and “Do you believe in destiny?”

Afterwards, to avoid leaving the Internet in a sour mood, I watched another couple of videos that were more cheerful than this one.  They both featured Robi the Robot, the small, fatally-adorable humanoid robot you have to build one component at a time over the course of 18 months. (I say fatally-adorable, because in the many instances it did cute little things, I “died” from the intense cuteness.) 

The first video was a demonstrative video about some things it does and shows how it interacts with people in a domestic setting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPjlJKRa7Uw

The next video I watched after that was the 100 Robis dancing on January 20, 2015.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgyDgsz-T9Y

It was enough Internet videos of robots for me for one day. But it was enlightening too. I want to watch them mainly for entertainment, but I am educated about them as well. I cannot afford to go out of town, out of state for that matter, to attend a robot show.  Plus, the only robot-related convention I ever went to in my 30 years of life is BotCon in 2014, and of course, that’s for The Transformers (owned by Hasbro).

Hmmm… I wonder which YouTube robot videos I should see next…? Do you have any suggestions? What do you recommend? Do you have a favorite robot video or favorite robot?

A Lunar Rover with a Beautiful Death Speech

I was checking the news feed online when one article came up that stood out to me.  I think it is relative to some of the things that Cybernetic Dreams is about.

The headline title read: Chinese lunar rover cutely broadcasts its own death

It is a lunar rover robot from China, called a Jade Rabbit Rover, with a Chinese name Yutu.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read about it, considering that I get emotional whenever adorable little robots die/cease to function.  But I was intrigued and wanted to read it.  The article is short, but it is a concise report on the lunar rover’s last message to Earth.

I was almost brought to tears.  In fact my eyes got misty.  And this was the first time I found out anything about this lunar rover from China.  It’s a sad but beautiful true story.

Wow.  If only we can face our own mortality with the same grace and dignity as that Jade Rabbit.  That’s one brave little robot.  If I could, I'd like to do a follow-up post about this in the near future.

Please read it here at this website page:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/2014/01/28/11/14/chinese-lunar-rover-cutely-broadcasts-own-death

If you would like to say anything or continue the conversation, please leave a comment :)

Some of My Thoughts on the Nao Humanoid

I don’t think I’ll be buying one of these little guys.  They are tens of thousands of dollars each on the market.  But I plan to see the Nao Humanoid in action.

I missed my chance.

There was an expo just this past Sunday, the 22^nd, where the Nao was featured at a demonstration.  I think it was in downtown Los Angeles.  I wouldn’t have been able to go, anyway, considering my mobility issues (I don’t drive on my own).  But it gives me an idea on when to take this opportunity next year perhaps.

I’ve been thinking about joining the LA Robotics Club, based in downtown LA, which is a long way from my San Fernando Valley home.  This group DID go to the Nao demonstrations.  I’d feel comfortable joining if I knew it was a club I can physically attend on a regular basis.  I don’t know if these robot/technology conventions allow the general public to come.   I’d have to belong to some association or group of robot enthusiasts such as myself to be allowed to attend such a convention.

Anyway, I’ve seen YouTube videos of the Nao Humanoid.  It is small, cute, speaks and walks and can pick items off from the floor and put them in another location.  I’ve also watched some personal demonstrations on YouTube of a Nao dancing and a few of them performing a synchronized dance number as well.  Suffice it to say, this Nao robot has some amazing capabilities while looking like a toy.  The Nao may be a toy, but not just any toy, nor a toy for kids.

http://youtu.be/eLfEL3GXMZM       (Nao Dances the Tango)

http://youtu.be/z_8A97xuQ8g        (Coffee for Nao)

http://youtu.be/atwSKUdN0H4       (Nao Robot Does Star Wars)

http://youtu.be/vgEFC8Eb6i4         (Nao Robots Dancing together...All the Single Ladies)

http://youtu.be/ZHJf365p_zw         (Nao - Thriller)

The Flashbulb’s song “Once Weekly”: Robot Maintenance?

A music band called The Flashbulb has an album titled Arboreal  and a lot of the music in this album is electronic and eclectic.  This song caught my attention, though.  It is titled "Once Weekly" and keeping that in mind as I listened to it, I imagined a specific scene about a--you might have guessed--a robot or android. 

When I listen to this song, it makes me think of a robot or android that is having a weekly maintenance check done. The electronic sounds in the music make me think of the machines and gadgets that are checking in on the robot/android’s vitals and function levels; eye lens, auditory sensors, main memory drive, the computer brain overall, limb and joint functions, battery levels (if the robot drives on this source of energy) to check for a battery replacement, that kind of stuff.

I have included the track "Once Weekly" in my iPod's Robot/Android Playlist, which is a playlist of music I listen to whenever I need a little inspiration in writing a robot science fiction story.  The track "A Raw Understanding" also makes me think about robots because of the electronic sounds in the music.

Nao Robot

Futaba Humanoid Robot

I have to share this video as well. I like the music that is playing in the background; it enhances the wonder that comes from watching this video. With a remote control, this robot can walk in different directions, even do a head-stand! I've watched this video four times now and it still amazes me.

Watch what happens when it falls down ;D




www.robots-dreams.com