From Siri to Sophia, it is time we make the big leap to robo-companions. Are you a fan of all those cute friendly robot movies like WALL-E or Big Hero 6, then obviously you might have thought of how cool it would be to have a robotic pet as a companion.
Over the years, we have seen AI and robotics build humanoids that can play soccer or dance or even talk. In addition to this, we have seen the growing use of robotics in wars. Now it is presenting us something to fall in love with — the Lovots. Lovots are pet robots. The term is a combination of ‘Love’ and ‘Robot.
While a Lovot can never replace a real pet, neither can it show affection or love towards you but it sure can turn your regular tiring day in to a more pleasant one. Lovots are extremely cute looking robots that can sense your mood and mimic emotions.Lovots are not capable of assisting you with your daily tasks, they are exclusively designed for loving. It is commonly believed that its adorable looks and actions can make anyone fall in love with it.Lovots are produced by a Japanese start-up Groove X founded by Kaname Hayashi who is also the CEO. Groove X is redefining the relationship between robots and human beings.
Love can be free but not Lovots. These robo-companions are priced at about ₹2,25,000, without tax.A Lovot is made with sensors and AI to detect and mimic emotions. It moves around fast with the help of wheels, so does it emit heat like all living beings and also has a nest where it goes back to rest while charging up its battery.Whatever it does, it can never be a live thing, but what’s most impressive about Lovots is the way they react.
The feeling of being loved has got more to it than just being told “you are loved”. It has to have emotions attached to it which is why you can never be satisfied by asking any of your virtual assistants to repeat that it loves you. And it is these emotions that makes the Lovots be adored.
Here are some of the technical specifications of the Lovots
CPU and Memory
- Main: CPU 4 cores (x86), RAM 8GB
- Sub: CPU 4 cores (ARMv8) + 2 cores (ARMv7-R), RAM 4GB
Sound
- Speaker x1
- Microphone x4
Camera
- Camera ×3 (Depth Camera, half-sphere Camera, Thermal Camera)
Sensors
- pressure sensor, illuminometer, thermo & hygrometer, IMU, distance sensor, NFC, obstacle sensor, touch sensor, electrodes etc
Communication
- Bluetooth®, mobile network (data communication), Nest-to-Main unit communication wireless LAN / infrared communication
Mass
- 3 to 4kg (without clothes)
Power consumption
- Approximately 50W
Normal Running Cycle
- Running time: 45 minutes, charging time: 15 minutes
Move Speed
- About 2 ~ 3 km / hour
