Companion robots as well as humanoid robots are a thing in Japan. And the latest addition to that list is the Kirobo Mini robot, which is a palm-sized robot that is being positioned as a synthetic baby which can carry out casual conversations while being driven around in a car or at your home. In Japan, where the birth rates are plummeting and the population is ageing fast, the Kirobo Mini is being positioned as a companion robot for the elderly as well. Toyota plans to start retailing Kirobo Mini in 2017 for 39,800 Japanese Yen which comes to around $400 (approx Rs 27,000).
According to Reuters, the Kirobo Mini is Toyota’s non-automotive product which is aimed at the personal home-robot market. The Kirobo Mini is a smaller version of the Kirobo, which was a robot developed by Toyota and sent into space in 2013 along with Koichi Wakata who was the first Japanese astronaut to be commanding the International Space Station.
Image: Toyota
Image: Toyota
Kirobo Mini’s chief designer engineer says that the robot is meant to emulate a seated baby and tends to wobble a bit, to mimic a growing baby who is yet to learn the skills to balance itself. Toyota has gone this specific to add an element of vulnerability to the robot which will evoke an emotional reaction from its owners. It can recognise facial expressions, so it can tell if the person is happy or sad and accordingly respond to your emotions. This 10cm tall robot aims to be your companion on your long car rides as well, since according to Toyota, people spend and average of 4.3 years of their lives inside cars.
The Kirobo Mini can respond to your queries, blink its eyes (thanks to the LED lights around the eyes) and has a high pitched voice just like that of a growing baby. Toyota has even gone ahead an added a cradle to go along with the Kirobo Mini, which can fit into a car’s cup holder. Sure, the idea of a robot mimicking a little baby and being marketed as a product to fill in that gap, does raise some ethical questions, but then this isn’t the first companion robot launched in Japan.
Japan is a leader as far as use of industrial robots is concerned, with around 314 machines per 100,000 employees, as per the International Federation of Robots. Toyota, which is heavily investing in artificial intelligence research, will