Someone at Robot Dreams has checked out the new bot from Speecys Labs (Japan). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C0Bl96UKHc

The unit has been described by some reviewers as "a walking webcam". Applications include reciting your email/SMS inbox upon voice command while dancing a jig. 

It has face-recognition s/w and can be controlled by cell phone, so has obvious applications in home security.

From a quick perusal, the specs are:

Height:   33 cm

Weight:  1.2 kg

DoF:        22

CPU:       Futaba 133 Mhz RPU-50 with 64KB ram/64KB flash

Other bits:  USB, audio, 802.11, 270k colour head camera, 2 speakers.

S/w:       runs on NetBSD for once!  Internet ready.

The bot was released in Japan on Sep 1. It only comes in assembled form — no kit — and sells for around 3k usd. The projected market is around 1k units.

Other details available here:

http://www.speecys.com/english/mirai.html

The bot actually runs NetBSD, so unless it's shot back to its host (running NetBSD too) and then over to some windows box for the speech processing, it's all to be written from scratch. Unless the Wintows emulators (e.g. wine or bochs) are up to running the win s/w at a fairly good speed.

The company has a general call out for volunteers, and I might put my hand up for some low-level open-source type work. I might even learn something.