Meet Kirobo Mini: Toyota's Weird Tiny Robot From Japan | TechTree.com

Meet Kirobo Mini: Toyota's Weird Tiny Robot From Japan

The 4-inch bot can detect human emotions and can even hold a conversation.

 

The land of the rising Sun never disappoints when it comes to weird inventions. In fact, calling some of these Japanese gadgets 'weird' would be an understatement. Keeping up with the country's tradition, auto-maker Toyota has unveiled a robot personal assistant. Named as Kirobo Mini, this bot stands a mere four inches tall. Kirobo is a Japanese word for hope. Toyota refers to it as a communication companion. Kirobo can talk or express his feelings through gesture. The company claims that it can also detect and respond to human emotions.

During the test phase, the robot accompanied the Japanese crew on-board the International Space Station. Kirobo Mini can hold a conversations in Japanese language. It uses sophisticated camera and sensors to detect its owner's head during a conversation. Fusing the visual data with vocal tone, it can detect its human companion's emotional state. The Kirobo Mini's interaction is mainly handled by connecting it to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Unlike the utilitarian robots seen in Neill Blomkamp's movies, the Kirobo is mostly meant for pep talk. As you can see in the official video embedded below, the tiny robot says things to motivate a Japanese kid. It also creepily asks a young lady to keep a smile on her face during the interview.

In future, Toyota has plans to implement Kirobo's technology into Toyota vehicles. The idea is to develop transport that’s in tune with the driver’s mood, suggesting places to visit, routes to travel and music to listen to.


TAGS: Robotics, Toyota

 
News Corner
IMP IMP IMP
##