4 Personal-Use Robotics Available Now More companies are creating robotics for consumer use. Here's a look at four that you can take home today.
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As Rethink Robotics' Rodney Brooks has noted, despite all the amazing technological advancements of the last few decades, we still don't have a robot that can put a hand inside a pocket and take out a key. There are no Roseys from The Jetsons among us--not even a mechanical companion half as lovable as the space-helmeted "health aid" that starred in last year's Sundance Film Festival favorite Robot & Frank.
Bossa Nova Robotics, a Carnegie Mellon spinoff, is close to releasing a pilot bot called mObi that CEO Martin Hitch describes as "the foundation of the home robot"--but a consumer model wouldn't hit until at least 2015. Still, there are people working on robots for the rest of us. According to Andra Keay of the professional association Silicon Valley Robotics, many companies are looking at the consumer end of the spectrum in the lifestyle and education sectors. Four things you can play with now:
Autom, from Intuitive Automata, is an adorable-looking social robot that hangs out on the kitchen countertop and chats with weight-conscious users about activity levels and diet.
At $200, plus a $7 monthly subscription, she's more expensive than an app but has a personality that makes her potentially more motivating--and guilt-inducing for those who slip off their programs.
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