This Robot Forklift Companion Can Recognize Your Face and Play Games
The robot can convey emotions and is created by Pixar and Dreamworks animators.
San Francisco-based startup Anki provides a look at Cozmo, a charming robot that is small enough to fit into your hand. It resembles the eponymous protagonist of Pixar film WALL-E, and with good reason — the robot was built with professional animator Carlos Baena (who worked on the film in addition to Toy Story 3) alongside other animators from Pixar and Dreamworks. Resembling a miniature forklift, Cozmo features an animated blue face that can convey “emotion” through its eyes. If a player hasn’t interacted with Cozmo for some time, its eyes will change into a game of Pong, indicating that it’s bored.
Using artificial intelligence, Cozmo can scan its surroundings and remember a person’s face through facial recognition. It can play custom games with the user, and will display “emotions” if it wins or loses often. Created with the intention of making people smile, Cozmo will is scheduled to be released this coming October.
