...but the feedback was lousy.

Monkey : Move Foot Forward
600ms later...
Robot : OK....Oh no, I'm falling over, quick move the other foot
600ms later...
Monkey : Move Other Foot Forward
600ms later...
Robot : I can't do that dave, I've fallen over

Although I assume in actuallity they left most of the balance control to the robot end of things; either that or the Monkey was psychic.
(Or more likely they've got a nice low-latency academic link)

In Soviet Russia, monkey control you!

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/01/14/science/0115-sci-ROBOTa_large.jpg [nytimes.com]

Tell me that graphic didn't come from The Onion.

actually, he was most likely thinking "up up down down left right left right B A select start"

Your arms are hanging limp at your sides, your legs got nothing to do. Some machine, doing that for you.

why is the robot in north Carolina and the monkey in Japan?

First of all, the robot was in Japan and the monkey in North Carolina. Because as everyone knows, Japan is the only country with an abundant supply of giant robots [wikipedia.org].

I want my robot to do my house work and fetch me beer and food, not hang from the light fitting and throw faeces at me.

Ah, a mind-diff. Thanks for the info :)

So you mean they need to get a woman to do this then? Can you just see a man doing it?

Step 1: Take reading "thinking of nothing" (in reality thinking of banging female researcher)
Step 2: Take reading "thinking of walking" (thinking of banging female researcher on treadmill)
Step 3: Lose funding when you can't explain why the robot keeps doing, ahem - what it is doing

Sounds like a good concept, but I don't understand how to get a monkey on the other side of the world to think about getting me my beer and pizza?

*Yawn* Robot Monkey overlords... something about welcoming... you know the drill. I don't feel like writing it all out.

Ah, a new joke. I'll have a go. They prefer intelligent design in Carolina and evolution in Japan?