Toyota unveils robot for 'emotional companionship' - robots could become commonplace in homes within the next decade

A Japanese firm is releasing a tiny robot intended to provide emotional companionship for people.  The tiny robot is the latest in a growing industry where robots provide companionship to lonely people. Robots remain exotic, but are expected to become commonplace within the next decade.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Japanese carmaker Toyota has produced a tiny robot intended to provide emotional companionship. Called the "Kirobo Mini" the small robot can fit in your pocket or a small purse. However, it has a big personality.

At four inches tall the mini robot talks, moves and behaves similarly to a baby. It has a high-pitched voice. It toddles on its bottom like a baby might do. It can sit on a table or a dashboard. It also has voice recognition, a camera and Bluetooth capability. It will sync with your smartphone.

The robot is not considered an artificial intelligence, it is not that smart, but it will be something you can talk to and interact with some.

Toyota's goal was to create a machine that could create an emotional connection with customers.

The Kirobo Mini is the latest in a line of robots intended for home use and companionship. Various machines are now available to the public. One of the more common is the Amazon Echo, known as "Alexa" to its owners. The device is little more than a premium speaker and microphone, but it has a very clever AI in the cloud. It can answer basic questions, send a shopping list to your phone and even share news, weather reports, and jokes.

Other robots are more expensive, but can move around the house, take pictures, play games and provide some entertainment.

High-end, sophisticated robots are also working as security guards. More sophisticated varieties are in development to move into the workplace.

Eventually, these concepts will merge into far more capable models. As these machines work, they gather data. A Kirobo Mini or a Pepper robot, designed for emotional connection, share their data with designers. Alexa records speech, allowing developers to see how people communicate. Other machines reveal how people will use robots and interact with them. These machines navigate complex, dynamic environments such as houses, warehouses and now even malls and parking lots.

As this information is gathered, developers can gain a better understanding of how people will work and interact with robots. Future designs will connect with owners emotionally while also being easier to use, understand and providing practical assistance. Their voices will sound more natural. Interaction will become simple.

Over the coming decades robots will take over many jobs and provide many services around the house. This will lead to an explosion of leisure. The decisions we make in the coming few years will impact the course of humanity itself.

These robots appear to be toys and simple tools right now. Tomorrow, they will be an essential part of our workplaces and households. The time is shorter than we think.

The car replaced the horse and buggy over the span of 30 years.

The computer took about 20 years for ubiquitous adoption.

Twenty years ago, everyone had a landline and cell phones were toys for the rich.

The smartphone is merely a decade old.

Given this pace, we can expect robots to become commonplace in less than a decade.

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