Sony Aibo Updated, will Greet You at the Door

Seems to be only assistant system left that makes a claim to being mobile and family friendly.   Home oriented.   With elements of a home pet emphasized.   We visited their lab early on, and that was one of the claims.  But it never seems to have reached that.  Notably similar in aims to the Kuri, now defunct.

Sony's Aibo robot will now greet you at the front door.  So, so adorable.
Nick Summers, @nisummers in Engadget

Sony’s robotic Aibo pup continues to learn new tricks. Thanks to a new software update, the android companion will now predict when you come home and sit patiently at the front door. Or that’s the idea, anyway. According to Sony’s website, you’ll first need to assign a meeting place — the entrance to your front home — by saying a phrase like “this is where you should go.” Aibo should then lower its head and ‘sniff’ the ground to indicate that it’s storing the location. If the process is successful, a door icon should appear on the map located inside the companion app.  ... "

Claims of over 100K sold in various forms, costing as much as  $2,900 each. There had seemed to be some indications it might be abandoned,  but this recent software update would say otherwise.   Glad the general idea continues, it has a place. 

Some detail in the Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIBO

Future of Rolling Assistants: Temi

Now that the Kuri assistant has failed, will there soon be more smart speakers with cameras on wheels to come at our command, mix drinks and fetch our slippers?    At the recent IFA show in Berlin, a new one emerges called Temi. Impressive by its description below.   Inclined to think that the electro-mechanical needs of such a device make it too expensive for broad smart home application.  The Kuri's price pushed it beyond the easy trial realm for a new kind of home device.  What will it take?

Temi is your personal robot butler, like an Amazon Echo Show on wheels  By Simon Hill  in DigitalTech (includes a good demo video)

While popular culture has consistently served up a vision of the future that features robot servants at our beck and call, they’ve been slow to infiltrate our homes so far. Despite the development of increasingly sophisticated robotics and artificial intelligence, domestic robots have yet to take off.

Temi could be in the vanguard of a new wave of robot butlers designed to cater to our whims, or it could be a glorified smart speaker on wheels. We took it for a spin at IFA in Berlin to find out exactly what it’s capable of.

Standing just over 3 feet high, Temi has an Android tablet for a head, with a 10.1-inch screen. Behind that and a little lower there’s a kind of shelf that also works as a wireless charging pad for phones. The main body is curved with a couple of midrange speakers in the chest area and then a subwoofer built into the base.

There’s a lot of clever tech inside Temi.

There’s a lot of clever tech inside Temi. Cameras, sensors, microphones, and more enable it to hear you and track your movements, tilting its head up and down and turning around. Temi can also navigate around using lidar to detect and avoid any obstacles. Tap it on the head or ask it, and it will track and follow you around, turning as you do to ensure that it’s always facing you.

You can use a range of voice commands with Temi. Just like any other voice assistant it can answer basic questions, tell you about the weather, and play music and video. There’s support for a few major apps such as Google, Reddit, YouTube, CNN, Yelp, Deezer, and Uber, but because Temi runs a modified version of Android, developers have to add support. ... " 

Home Robots that Hug You

With some connections to other 'family' home robots, that claim to be family friendly.   By taking it further to the tactile level.  We examined work going in in Japan that aimed to take this to eldercare applications.  With assistant style voice systems we can imagine warmth and friendliness,  now can we take that further?  On to the hug ..    And we note that the Kuri is no longer, and though family friendly made no claim to 'hug'.  ...

Home Robots that Hug You in DigitalTrends

Forget Roomba, your most important house robot could be the one that hugs you    By Luke Dormehl

Sure, so Alexa can play you the right song at the right time, and Google’s Duplex tech means you never need to phone up and book a restaurant again, but our relationship with machines still has the non-tactile frigidity of an unhappy marriage. However, that could all change thanks to work coming out of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. Researchers there have been developing a robot that is designed for giving you a hug. And, far from an amusing gimmick, they are convinced that it’s really important.

“A robot hugging a person is a good idea because people may crave the benefits that come from a hug at a time when they can’t get a hug from a person, due to factors such as distance, timing, and health,” Alexis Block, one of the lead researchers on the HuggieBot project, told Digital Trends. “We think a hugging robot could be beneficial in this case because a person can get the support they need without feeling self-conscious.”    ... '

Kuri Rolling Assistant Stops Manufacturing

The family friendly rolling assistant Kuri has stopped manufacturing and is refunding new orders.    Was called 'adorable' by some.   Have followed it here since its inception.   The supporting  company Bosch,  apparently has pulled the plug of support.  Their site says its a pause.  The Mayfield Robotics site now makes minimal mention of Kuri.   Are they looking for a buyer?   Seemed a nice idea, but was too expensive.  More in TheVerge.

Misty II Personal Robot

Another example of a personal assistant, perhaps useful for home applications.  Considerable detail in the IEEE article examines design elements.   Appears to be more general and adaptable, and expensive than others available now.

Misty Robotics Builds on Developer Platform With New Personal Robot

The Misty II personal robot is designed to do whatever you can program it to do, and more By Evan Ackerman in IEEE Spectrum

Misty Robotics announced their developer platform, Misty I, just a few months ago. Misty I was a hand-built prototype, with similar essential functionality in hardware and software to a more refined production robot that the company planned to release later in the year. Later in the year has now arrived, and today Misty Robotics is launching a crowdfunding campaign for a much more polished personal robot, Misty II, which can be yours to program starting at $1,500.

In theory, I can definitely appreciate this idea of a platform being what’s holding useful personal robotics back. It’s very appealing to think about, and it would be wonderful if true, with legions of independent developers who can’t wait to work with something capable and accessible enough for them to program to do what they want it to do without any special training. Whether or not it’s true in practice remains to be seen, though— I’d love to be more optimistic, but one thing robotics has definitely taught me is that being optimistic is usually just leads to disappointment.  ... "

Does Amazon Need to have a Home Robot?

Maybe not,  but it has the architecture and might as well experiment.  See also Kuri, mentioned here.

Does Amazon need a robot?  by Tom Ryan in Retailwire

Amazon.com is developing its first consumer robot product, and it could reach American homes as soon as early 2019, according to Bloomberg.

Known internally as “Vesta,” the project has been under development for several years through Lab 126, the division responsible for Echo and Kindle. Amazon ramped up hiring for the project ramped up this year with a goal to seed devices in employees’ homes by year end.

No details have emerged on exactly what the robot looks like or what it can do, but sources familiar with the project told Bloomberg that Vesta “could be a sort of mobile Alexa,” accompanying users to places in their homes that don’t have Alexa devices. Backed by cameras and computer vision software, prototypes “can navigate through homes like a self-driving car,” Bloomberg reported. ... " 

Amazon Wants to Build a Home Robot

Been following the Kuri as an existing example.   An Alexa with wheels sounds like a bit much, but they already have an existing infrastructure to build on.

Bloomberg: Amazon wants to build a home robot
'I need your clothes, your boots, and to offer you a discount on HDMI cables...'     by Daniel Cooper  ... "

Anki Cozmo Robot

More personable toy robotics.  Not a new thing,  but getting us more used to the concept.

Big brain. Bigger personality.
Say hello to Cozmo, a gifted little guy with a mind of his own. He’s a real-life robot like you’ve only seen in movies, with a one-of-a-kind personality that evolves the more you hang out. He’ll nudge you to play and keep you constantly surprised. Cozmo’s your accomplice in a crazy amount of fun. ... " 

Kuri Update and Future

The updated newsletter for the Kuri home robot includes extensive new information.  Very nicely presented. The system is now scheduled for shipment this month.  It costs $799 plus shipping and handling.   Expensive.  Still have not seen any extensive operational tests written about. 

The idea of having an attentive,  crawling device with camera and a voice of sorts,  that can learn your home and play with the kids and pets, is fascinating.  Emphasizes the mobile picture-seeking and taking capability.   Assume it would have at least the minimal conversational intelligence of assistant devices.     It uses a 'beep' language code to signal.  Will it ultimately allow skill apps to be written for it?   Not now.

Can it replace the far less expensive and now common stationary devices like the Echo or Home?  Is the movement very useful, or will it just get in the way?  It does not seem to be able to fetch or carry things.  Is voice + movement  enough to engage?  What do we expect from a home robot?  Is movement without robot hands or skills useful?    Is friendliness, which they push in their newsletter,  worth the high price?  Revealed that it uses an IOS 10+ App only to run, which is still not yet available. Newsletter includes a more extensive FAQ.  Look forward to seeing more operational tests.

Sony Advanced Robot Aibo Dog

Saw the early version of the Aibo dog demonstrated in Japan.    Tried to get a demo for our space, but it never happened.   Japan was and is interested in eldercare: 'friendly' robot solutions.  Reminds me a bit of the Kuri robot, which aims to be a friendly family member, with some assistant components.  The Alexa assistant has been described as friendly,  with hints of being a family member.   Is this a component that will sell home robotics?  Will mere friendliness sell? Note the many sensors included.

Sony Unleashes New Aibo Robot Dog    by John Boyd

Eighteen years after unveiling its original Aibo robot dog, Sony is now reviving the iconic product using advanced mechatronics and AI to create a cuter, smarter, and more lifelike version. The new Aibo is crammed with ultracompact actuators, two cameras, touch sensors, microphones, and a 64-bit quad-core CPU. According to a Sony executive, the robot uses AI to create "a bond with its owners that can grow over time." Sony will start selling Aibo early next year. ... " 

Self-Flying Robot Assistant for the Home

(Update)   I see that the below project has been cancelled in Kickstarter, as of October 2017.  I am leaving the post here for historical purposes) 

Another home/family device.  Reminds me of the Kuri, but this is a drone, that in theory could navigate multiple levels and floors.  Autonomous point to point navigation. Like the integration of Alexa and IFTTT.  Do wonder the ultimate safety of a flying device.

An indoor drone that integrates an Alexa assistant,  voice control,  music,  camera, intelligence. Estimated availability Sept 2018.  Estimated cost $799.   A Kickstarter project.  Multiple operational videos at the link.

Aire — A Self-Flying Robotic Assistant for the Home ...Unlike any other robot, Aire travels effortlessly anywhere in your home, re-imagining automation, security, smart assistants & more.

Aire's ability to fly enables easy navigation over or around obstacles and even between multiple floors of a home.  

With simple hands-free voice commands and minimalist smartphone app flight controls, anyone can easily control Aire from home or away, with no piloting experience required. .... 

Advanced Flight — Aire employs technology similar to "inside out tracking" of AR/VR headsets and self-driving cars to navigate safely through your home.

Smart Automation — Amazon Alexa voice commands and IFTTT automation triggers allow you to control Aire's flight, functions, and other IoT devices within in home.

Home Security — When Aire detects sound or motion anomalies at home it sends an alert, allowing you to launch Aire to inspect any room, on any floor via live-stream video.

Personal Photography — With Aire as your photographer, you'll always be in the photo and not behind the camera  by using voice photography and virtual visits features.  ... " 

Bosch Develops Stain Scanner

We developed something called the 'Stain Detective', later called the 'Stain Brain',  the intelligence there could be connected to something like Bosch's scanner.   The sensor plus intelligence construction is instructive.  Note also Bosch's work with Mayfield Robotics and the Kuri Robot.

Bosch's stain scanner knows what you spilled on your shirt last night   By Edgar Alvarez,  @abcdedgar

German technology giant Bosch is mostly known for making home appliances. And at IFA 2017, the company is showing off a concept that it hopes can add a new dimension to those products. The X-Spect is a portable device that detects fabric composition, scans stains and figures out what your food is composed of. As pictured above, it looks a lot like a TV remote, and it features a tiny screen and capacitive touch buttons that let you browse through menus. Right now, Bosch is demoing the X-Spect, which weighs a mere 200 grams (less than half a pound) alongside one of its WiFi washers to deliver "optimal" cycle recommendations.

For instance, if you scan a wool sweater, it takes the scanner only a couple of seconds to identify the item. All you have to do next is click "OK" to send that information to your nearby washer, which will automatically suggest that you wash your garment at a certain temperature and with a specific number of spins. The idea, of course, is that the X-Spect is able to make your washing smarter, helping you take better care of your clothes. With stains, on the other hand, the scanner analyzes whatever you may have gotten on your shirt or pants, like whether it's cosmetics or something entirely gross.  ... " 

More Social Robotics

Been intrigued by social robots, attempts at making  interactive and friendly devices for the home and elsewhere.  Is this problem solvable before we figure out how to do intelligent conversations between humans and machines?  How much does soft and doll-like buy you in social?   Expecting too much from the Eliza Effect in AI?   I am following several interesting examples.

Blossom: A Handmade Approach to Social Robotics from Cornell and Google  By Evan Ackerman

As excited as we are about the forthcoming generation of social home robots (including Jibo, Kuri, and many others), it's hard to ignore the fact that most of them look somewhat similar. They tend to feature lots of shiny white and black plasticky roundness. That’s for admittedly very good reasons, but it comes at the cost of both uniqueness and visual and tactile personality.

Guy Hoffman, who is well known for the fascinating creativity of his robot designs, has been working on a completely new kind of social robot in a collaboration between his lab at Cornell and Google ZOO's creative technology team in APAC. The robot is called Blossom, and we'd describe it for you, except that it's designed to be handmade out of warm natural materials like wool and wood so that every single one is a little bit different.  ... " 

Autonomous Video for the Home

IEEE Spectrum on 'friendly'  home robotics.   Still awaiting some more detailed looks at its in home use. Continue to cover this, but given the cost will likely not dive in without some convincing.

Kuri Robot Brings Autonomous Video to a Home Near You
Mayfield Robotics improves its home robot, Kuri, adding track wheels, structural updates, and “Kuri Vision,” an autonomous home video program

Most home robots are designed primarily for convenience and function. Not Kuri. Silicon Valley startup Mayfield Robotics designed Kuri specifically to be an adorable home companion. And that means it needed to have one quality you won’t find in most robotic vacuums and other home bots: cuteness. 

Mayfield introduced Kuri earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Since then, the Mayfield team has made several updates to the robot. The most significant one is the home video feature called “Kuri Vision,” which allows Kuri to take video autonomously.

To do that, Kuri has two high definition 1080p cameras, one behind each eye. These cameras take videos intermittently throughout the day, capturing candid moments. You can then review those clips through the app, which runs on iOS and Android, and choose which ones you like best. Then Kuri’s machine learning and image processing kicks in: Based on which images you favorite or delete, Kuri learns to take videos that you’ll like. .... " 

Telepresence Robots

These robots should be called 'minimal presence portable robotics',  we looked at them to test the idea of having someone who was very remote introduced to a team in a unique way.   They have lots of problems.  We discovered most of these in our tests.  The article is quite good and complete, covering several devices, and exposing many of their issues.

In particular that the remote person has to be trained on the device and wastes most of their time just navigating and engaging.  And people don't engage well with them, end up just hiding.  Unless there is a very clear need to move about, like oberserving some detailed experience,  like a store layout, you are better off just having a stationary video camera somewhere.   This might seem like a cute idea, but test carefully before you buy a fleet.

The Best Telepresence Robot
After spending 20 hours researching telepresence robots and testing two of the most promising models in office and home settings, we don’t think these devices are ready for prime time. But if you want a telepresence robot to give remote employees a physical presence in your office, the Suitable Technologies Beam Enhanced is the only bot that’s reliable and user-friendly enough to consider. .... " 

Kuri Finds a Skill as Family Photographer

The crawling, bleeping, recording, greeting, even friendly home robot called Kuri has announced a new skill.  It can now act as a kind of resident family still and videographer.

Not quite sure about what other assistant skills might be included, but the idea is interesting.   Beyond a cylinder that is rooted in a location, it moves to where it is needed and records and interacts.

This idea of moving where it is needed is intriguing.  What other possibilities does that provide? Security?  Location based assistance?  Don't expect it to mix drinks, but being there can be of value. It avoids the all the complexity of human conversation by only speaking in coded 'bleeps'.

Still listed at $700, Shipping original orders this fall, with new orders coming in a second wave in the spring of 2018.

More in the Kuri blog.  A good idea if delivered well.  This will take quite a few purchases to fund ongoing development, which it will need to sustain any magic it has.

Roomba Maps for Smart Homes

This reminds me of work we did with test Roombas.  We were interested in how they compared with human cleaning process and also usage of possible cleansing liquids, in lab settings.  But I can see how the resulting maps might be used for Smart Home navigation and understanding.  I recently read that the still unreleased Kuri robot automatically builds maps of its home space.  As expected, has this has privacy implications, mentioned at the link.

Your Roomba’s digital map of your house could be for sale     by Eric David in Siliconangle

 Robotic vacuums like the Roomba have made it easy for even the laziest people to keep their floors clean, and now Roomba maker iRobot Corp. has found another use for the little robots: building maps for your smart home devices.

Some of the smarter Roomba models build maps of your home to make their cleaning paths more efficient. Over time, they learn the locations of walls, doorways, lamps, furniture and so on, which eventually allows them to clean your home without bumping into things over and over. The idea behind this mapping system is to reduce the time it take for your Roomba to finish its job, but iRobot Chief Executive Colin Angle says the mapping data is useful for more than just speeding up your vacuum. .... " 

Update on Kuri Robot

An update on the Kuri in home traveling 'friendly' robot  by Mayfield, and camera.   Says it can learn a space.  Now at 1080p.   Now can distinguish between dogs and people. Still, I think overpriced at $699 for the average home, smart or not. Indications it will be out by fall.  Had thought this might be best positioned as a security tool that can move to motion or noise.  No indication about how it can might be upgraded with skills or linked to databases.

Kuri home robot can tell your pets from people
The cute bot's camera 'eye' is also getting a 1080p upgrade .... 
By Jon Fingas, @jonfingas  in Engadget.

Kuri Robot to Add Facial Recognition

Been following the claimed advances in the Kuri home robot, which now says it includes facial recognition and reaction.  See their March Newsletter.   Also will have IFTTT support, which should be very useful for other goal areas, like home security.  Available for preorder, but no specific availability date yet.   Had been considering testing this directly, but will likely await early hands-on reviews at the $700 price.  I think ultimately there will be home companion/assistant robotics of this type.

https://www.heykuri.com/
https://twitter.com/KuriRobot

Mayfield Robotics

Now known for Bosch's effort with the beta Kuri home robot.

We Make Helpful Home Robots
Our robots bring joy to your house. Our small team of engineers, roboticists, and designers is growing quickly and we are having a great time creating our first products ... "