Tiny Robot Tiny Friendship

26 Oct 2016

Toyota has designed a small companion robot whose sole purpose is to have conversations with people. The Kirobo Mini can read facial expressions and talk to you-and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (via Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty images)

As long as robotics have been public knowledge... weve strived to make robot friends. Think Robby from Lost in Space or from some of the first science fiction novels. Not sure if this is the true answer, but we are makig steps towards that robo-buddy for sure.

The auto company Toyota has expanded its market into the world of companion robots. With the design process complete and the new models scheduled to ship in early 2017, the Kirobo Mini is ready to take on a niche market in Japan: friendship. Or, rather, one aspect of friendship-conversation.

The little robot, which is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, is programmed to recognize words and formulate its own sentences in response to what it hears.

The software, located in a cloud controlled by Toyota, is connected to the robot through a Bluetooth device. Also equipped with a camera, the Kirobo Mini is able to read facial expressions and deduce what mood the person is in. How sophisticated this technology is remains to be seen. Designed to evoke tenderness for its baby-like characteristics, the robot has a high-pitched voice, rounded features, and it wobbles slightly as it sits, much like an infant that hasn’t yet learned to fully balance.

One has to wonder what this technology is for, and why Toyota, of all companies, would want to invest in companionate robot design. One reason may that due to a variety of social and economic factors, including heavily restricted immigration, Japan may soon experience a decline in skilled workers in various industries, and those jobs may have to be replaced with robots. Such robots could have to work alongside people, and so a robot that can assess facial expressions and speech patterns may prove highly valuable. Until then, the little companion may benefit the growing portion of the population in need of friendship. If the demand for companionate machines grows, however, one key design element should be added: touch.

The Kirobo Mini looks cute and talks, but it has a hard, smooth exterior, like most automated devices. To more accurately simulate friendship, perhaps a future companionate robot would look and feel more like a snuggly teddy bear. Maybe it would be a bit bigger, and capable of actually giving you a hug. As a first prototype, though, the Kirobo Mini is pretty cute, and it may be great at making small talk, too.