a baby-like humanoid robot, into the market
in early 2017.
The robot was unveiled by Toyota a year ago
at the Tokyo Motor Show. While other
companies at the event showed off new cars
and car-related technology, Toyota also had
the Kirobo Mini on display.
The Kirobo Mini is a version of the Kirobo
robot that was a part of several experiments
up in space at the International Space
Station. The new robot, however, is slightly
smaller and built for the consumer market.
The Kirobo Mini is only 4 inches tall and is
small enough to fit inside the cupholder of a
car. Toyota is claiming that the robot
can respond to human emotions and
animatedly engage in conversations with its
owners with blinking eyes and wagging limbs.
For example, if the robot's owner is feeling
down, it will wobble and ask, "Why are you
sad?" If the owner will suddenly brake while
driving, the robot will shout, "That was scary!"
Videos that demonstrate the capabilities of
the Kirobo Mini show the robot entertaining
children, chatting with an old woman and
encouraging a fresh graduate in preparation
for in interview.
Its name is a combination of the Japanese
words for hope and robot, and it is being
positioned by Toyota as a communication
partner that can provide companionship to its
owners. The Kirobo Mini will be released just
as surveys held among Japanese consumers
reveal a declining interest in cars.
With a cradle that will fit inside the cupholder
of a car, the Kirobo Mini can always be
accessible as a companion even while in the
vehicle, possibly increasing interest in cars for
Japanese consumers.
In addition to looking to bring back interest in
cars, the Kirobo Mini also looks to tap into a
demographic trend in the Asian country,
where decreasing birth rates have forced
many women to grow old without children.
The Japanese government has looked at
utilizing robots to take up the roles left
behind by humans due to the country's
thinning population. The Kirobo Mini,
meanwhile, will look to establish emotional
connections with owners in an aging Japan.
The Kirobo Mini, which will carry a price tag
of 39,800 yen, equivalent to about $400, will
be sold in dealerships of Toyota in Tokyo and
in the area surrounding Toyota's Nagoya
headquarters.
10:14
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