Home automation has become so popular in the recent days that several large and small manufacturers are taking steps towards coming up with solutions in this field.
Home automation has become so popular in the recent days that several large and small manufacturers are taking steps towards coming up with solutions in this field. While these include systems from smart security to intelligent home appliances, one of the most interesting segment that is being widely researched is home-based robots.
The Japanese electronics manufacturer had recently come up with an interesting concept, which it displayed at the CES 2017. Known as the Companion robot, is claimed to have human-like movements and communication skills.
According to Takahiro Iijima, Manager at the Design Strategy Office in North America which is a unit of Panasonic Research and Development Center of America, the Companion robot is equipped with a Wi-Fi network function that accesses artificial intelligence-based natural language processing technology.
“This enables it to communicate in a clear, friendly way,” Iijima said. “The robot is able to access and use cloud data, and commute with those in other locations. Thanks to its embedded projector, the robot can be used for distance learning and other purposes. The robot is about the size of a standard kitchen countertop blender.”
Asked what was special about this product, Iijima said that the development concept was “not special presence, but useful and helpful”. Clarifying this further, he said that the company considered various details like high interactivity without making it feel artificial, giving it a natural behavior and attractive voice.
“We applied AI for living-thing behavior and natural communication,” Iijima said. “For example, when the robot receives a positive word, it swings its arms up and lifts its face. In the opposite case, it embraces emotional expressions like shaking down its arms downward.”
However, despite companies like these coming up with residential robots, there have not yet been an overwhelming reception from the customers. Iijima believes that this is because robots have not yet become a necessity. If there is a necessity and inevitability in life, the demand will also rise. He added that the Companion was created considering the potential necessities that people encounter in a home environment.