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50 years later: The invasion of the robots is finally happening In the science fiction movies of the 1960s and 70s, robots played a major – and often sinister – role. Half a century later, the invasion of the robots finally seems to be happening. But the robots that permeate our world are not terrifying war machines, but rather cute. “THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK” sent a steel cyborg-robot on a rampage through the city, “Kronos” was a gigantic, box-like robot, an all-consuming, insatiable alien machine, and “Dr. Satan’s Robot” was used by a mad criminal scientist to take over the world. In the movies of the 60s and 70s, robots were often shown as mean machines trying to conquer the world with super-human strength, rockets and laser beams. Because this has not worked (yet), the robots now try a different strategy: Cuteness. At this years Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, robotics was a big theme. Here are some of the cute and sometimes bizarre concepts that were shown at CES:
Petit Qoboo
FORBIDDEN PLANET
Some people would love to own a pet but can’t, because they suffer from allergies, live in a small apartment or are simply too busy. Yukai Engineering, a Tokyo-based robotics startup, has developed Petit Qoobo specifically for this market segment. This almost-animal is designed to comfort people who cannot own a real pet. It could be described as a furry therapy pillow with an expressive tail. Petit Qoobo wags its tail in response to one’s stroking and rubbing. It waves gently when caressed and swings it playfully when rubbed.
It also moves spontaneously in reaction to the sound of clapping or one’s voice. “As a user, you would project your emotions onto how the tail moves, and you could get a sense of healing from that”, says Prof. Nobuhiro Sakata of Dokkyo Medical University. Petit Qoobo comes in a compact size, small enough to fit in a purse. It can thus provide comfort and emotional support not only at home, but also in a lonely hotel room or office. qoobo.info
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MarsCat takes the robotic pet concept one step further. It can independently perform various cat-like tricks. MarsCat walks, runs, sleeps, sits, stretches, and plays with its owner. It is fully responsive and has sensitive interactions. Through an array of sensors it can feel a touch, hear a voice, recognize a face and play with toys. The robot feline can also express different emotions by different meows or gestures.
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
PHOTO: ELEPHANT ROBOTICS
PHOTO: YUKAI ENGINEERING
MarsCat
MarsCat comes with six pre-programmed characters which can be changed. It can be enthusiastic or aloof, energetic or lazy, social or shy. The personality develops over time. MarsCat will be more active if the owner frequently interacts with it. Else it behaves cat-like and needs to be pleased until it feels in the mood for playing again. Built on an open source platform, users can program MarsCat easily and include new functions. In addition to a Raspberry Pi kit, it comes with integrated open source modules
2.2020
03.02.206 15:48
