CES 2014: 8 Radical Robots
These robots won't conquer the world, but they will wash windows, watch aging parents, and entertain kids.
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Robots Invade CES 2014
Not all robots aspire to take over the world and enslave the human race. Many, in fact, are quite content with more mundane activities: washing windows, vacuuming carpets, maybe even roaming warehouse floors as security guards that never need a break.
That's the takeaway from CES 2014, where a variety of startups and established players invaded the show's Robotics TechZone to demonstrate an eclectic mix of robotics and intelligent systems products.
Robots have long been a staple of science fiction, of course, but the goal of a humanoid robot in every household -- a tireless companion to cook, clean, and maybe even listen to your problems -- remains elusive.
Robots are common on factory floors, of course. Some consumer devices, most notably iRobot's series of automated floor cleaners like the Roomba, have found a household niche as well. iRobot, in fact, debuted a new floor-scrubbing robot, the $600 Scooba 450, at CES.
So what's the next big thing in consumer robotics? From what we saw at CES 2014, entertainment and gaming show a lot of potential. Robotic toys such as Orbotix's Sphero B and Parrot's Jumping Sumo and MiniDrone are intelligent, innovative, and fun (click through the slideshow for details). But it's unclear when more pragmatic robots, such as Ecovacs's window-washing Winbot, will become as commonplace in the home as a refrigerator and microwave. Since nobody enjoys cleaning, the robotic maid may be the Holy Grail of home robots. One that scrubs toilets would be nice.
There's a more serious side to home robotics, however, one designed to address the rapidly aging population in most developed countries. Japan has been at the forefront of this trend. Its population is aging, and there's a shortage of caregivers in the nation's eldercare industry. One product on display at CES 2104, the Paro robotic baby harp seal, aims to reduce the stress of elderly patients and their caretakers.
Another interesting trend in robotics is the merger of standard mobile devices with robots. A tablet, for instance, can essentially become the face of a mobile robot like Rbot's Synergy Swan, enabling the latter to fulfill a variety of tasks, including those of tour guide, babysitter, instructor, or night watch-bot.
Dig into our slideshow to learn more about the cool new robots on display at CES 2014. A few have humanoid-like dimensions, but most do not. While not all of the products we've included here are currently available, most will be before the end of the year.
Ozobot is a robotic game piece that slides smoothly across a physical surface, such as a game board or digital tablet. The pocket-sized device detects colors, lines, and patterns, as well as SmartCode instructions on paper, iPad/Android tablets, or Monopoly-style game boards. There's a striking similarity between the cute-as-a-button Ozobot and the dot-chomping characters from Pac-Man, and perhaps that's no accident. Ozobot is a potential platform for game developers, who can buy the device for $49 once the company's Kickstarter campaign gets underway this month.
Want to learn how to build your own humanoid robot? Rapiro is a programmable, do-it-yourself kit designed to teach robotics to coders and non-coders alike. You'll need a couple of screwdrivers to assemble this pint-sized device, which comes with RGB LED eyes and a limited set of preprogrammed skills. Designed primarily as a learning tool to teach robotics, Rapiro ships with open-source Arduino IDE, a C++-like programming environment. Rapiro has enough room under the hood for a Linux-based, Raspberry Pi credit card-sized PC (sold separately) for expanding the robot's capabilities. What might Rapiro do? Options include sending you message notifications via WiFi or acting as a home security bot. Priced at $450, Rapiro will be available in February.
Parrot showed off two new robotic toys at CES 2014. The MiniDrone is a quadcopter with two large wheels that serve as a protective roll cage and allow the drone to scoot quickly on the ground. You pilot the MiniDrone using Bluetooth Low Energy and your tablet or smartphone. The drone not only flies, it also rolls across floors and ceilings.
The Jumping Sumo is a two-wheeled robot with impressive, grasshopper-like hopping skills. It spins, jumps up to 80 cm (about 31.5 inches), and takes 90-degree turns. (These estimates looked very accurate in the CES floor demos.) Parrot calls the Sumo "the first robot-insect." You control the Sumo via 5 GHz WiFi. Both devices will ship later this year. Parrot's promotional video shows a whimsical demonstration of these drones' mad skills.
Ecovacs Robotics's Winbot is a window-washing robot that can clean glass of any thickness, the company says. Winner of an International CES Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Award, Winbot 7 scans and calculates the size of your windows, and then creates a customized path to clean them with its microfiber pads. Its onboard computer and multiple sensors allow it to avoid edges, obstacles, and other potential hazards. Its frameless detection system enables it to clean mirrors, glass doors, shower stalls, and railings without falling to its doom. Winbot 7 costs $400.
AIBrain's Tyche nabbed a CES Innovations 2014 Award under the category of "Technology for a Better World." Tyche is an autonomous robot that can recognize people, speak and listen to them, and communicate with other Tyches. Designed as a family companion, Tyche has numerous potential applications, including home security, entertainment, and robot education. It works with a select number of Android 3.0 or newer phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S series, and runs from three to seven hours on battery power. (There's no word yet on an iOS edition.) Tyche will cost $219 and ship in the June-July time frame, the company says.
Here's another merger of robotics and consumer tech. Rbot's Synergy Swan and Synergy Mime are reasonably priced robots that you control via smartphone or tablet, a feature that gives them "interchangeable intelligence," the company says. The larger Swan model ($999) is a multifunctional floor unit with a human speech synthesizer, face recognition abilities, and navigation capabilities. The desktop Mime ($499) is designed for applications that don't require a lot of mobility. One potential use for Mime is as a "robot nurse" that reads fairy tales and shows cartoons to children. It automatically detects when children open or close their eyes, for instance, and will sleep/wake simultaneously with them.
Paro, a robotic baby harp seal designed to reduce stress in patients and their caregivers, isn't new to CES, but its presence always draws a crowd. The furry bot has five sensors -- tactile, light, audio, temperature, and posture -- which it uses to perceive people and its environment. It makes calming sounds when held and stroked, but it's far more sophisticated than a stuffed animal. Paro appears somewhat lifelike and learns to behave in ways that please you. For instance, if you pet Paro every time you touch it, the robot will learn to repeat the actions that earned your affection. Under Paro's soft exterior are dual processors that manage the robot's voice recognition and behavioral software. Paro is pricey, though. It sells for $4,518 at the Japan Trend Shop.
A programmable robot with a rugged streak, Orbotix's Sphero 2B made its debut at CES 2014. Like earlier members of the Sphero robotic ball family, the new Sphero 2B does high-speed jumps and tricks. But with its durable polycarbonate body and customizable tires, hubcaps, and other accessories, it's more versatile. It has built-in infrared technology for multiplayer games, and it connects to Android or iOS devices via Bluetooth Low Energy. More good news: Sphero 2B will be priced under $100. Now the bad: It won't be available until the fall.
A programmable robot with a rugged streak, Orbotix's Sphero 2B made its debut at CES 2014. Like earlier members of the Sphero robotic ball family, the new Sphero 2B does high-speed jumps and tricks. But with its durable polycarbonate body and customizable tires, hubcaps, and other accessories, it's more versatile. It has built-in infrared technology for multiplayer games, and it connects to Android or iOS devices via Bluetooth Low Energy. More good news: Sphero 2B will be priced under $100. Now the bad: It won't be available until the fall.
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