The idea of a “sociable” robot—one that people can have relatively
natural interactions with—has been the lore of science fiction for decades.
From Lost in Space to Star Wars to WallE and beyond, interactive robotic
machines have been the stuff of our creative imagination for some time. In
2019, however, I believe we will start to see more practical implementations of
personal robotics devices from a number of major tech vendors. Amazon, for
example, is widely rumored to be working on some type of personal
assistant-based robot leveraging their Alexa voice-based digital assistant
technology.
Exactly what form and what sort of capabilities the device might take
are unclear, but some type of mobile (as in, able to move, not small and
lightweight!) visual smart display that also offers mechanical capabilities
(lifting, carrying, sweeping, etc.) might make sense. While a number of
companies have tried and failed to bring personal robotics to the mainstream in
the recent past, I believe a number of technologies and concepts are coming
together to make the potential more viable this year. First, from a purely
mechanical perspective, the scarily realistic capabilities now exhibited by
companies like Boston Dynamics show how far the movement, motion, and
environmental awareness capabilities have advanced in the robotics world.
In addition, the increasingly conversational and empathetic AI
capabilities now being brought to voice-based digital assistants, such as Alexa
and Google Assistant, demonstrate how our exchanges with machines are becoming
more natural. Finally, the appeal of products like Sony’s updated Aibo robotic
dog also highlight the willingness that people are starting to show towards
interacting with machines in new ways.
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