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A smart robot named Kuri may become a perfect companion. Mayfield Robotics, a subsidiary of the company Bosch, has recently developed Kuri. The smart home robot was launched on January 3rd at the Consumer Electronics Show. The device is 12 inches wide and 20 inches tall. The product is equipped with an HD camera, speakers, microphones, a touch sensor, and asynchronous motors.
Even if Kuri is a machine, it could become very friendly, being a great companion. When you call him, the little robot animals playfully as if it was feeling joyful. He is outfitted with a LED bound to change its color depending on the robot’s mood. Mayfield intended to develop a robot which is more than advanced technology, being a friend.
Chris Matthews, the vice president of marketing at Mayfield, emphasized that the new device does not represent a robot in the traditional sense. Kuri knows how to establish a bond, a connection with its owner, understanding people’s feelings. The company underwent proper research to design a robot which felt more like a human companion.
This humanistic approach was seen as an advantage. The company was founded having two purposes. One of them was to apply the knowledge the company cumulated toward the development of its product. The second goal was to examine the home robotics space. The Redwood City, the team, based in California needed to work at a fast pace.
Six employees from Mayfield developed a home robot focusing on three vital principles: personality, awareness, and mobility. The six-member team was formed by a CEO, two former Bosch roboticists and software engineers. Thus, the company designed Kuri, a smart robot having the ability to express emotions just like a human being.
Developers avoided the use of a screen and built an animated head with eyelids attached to the eyes of the robot to make it look even more realistic. They have engineered an HD camera which is bound to register every face the robot saw, remembering people. Unfortunately, Kuri is not that human-like to be mistaken by a real person. Probably, sometime soon developers will work on its improvements. The robot responds with squawks and chirps because it is not so advanced to be able to use human speech.
Image source: flickr
