If you've always wanted a robot like WALL-E that roams around the house, you'll love this. Tech company Anki just launched Cozmo, a fun robot for kids.
A Robot with Emotions
Anki is a robotics company that just launched Cozmo, a fun robot for kids. This small robot, which fits in the palm of your hand, is a harmless toy with artificial intelligence inspired by WALL-E's personality, making it seem more like a smart pet than a personal assistant. In fact, it has advanced software that Anki programmed and calls an emotion engine. That means Cozmo can react to situations like a human would, with a wide range of states, from happy and calm to frustrated and angry.
Two Fun Games
This makes it seem more like a human child in its behavior rather than a toy robot. Cozmo is, in every sense, a robot child that always wants to play. If you ignore it, the robot will start throwing a tantrum. But if you pay attention, you can play two games using three cubes: Keep Away, where you try to remove a block from next to Cozmo before it can slap you; and Quick Tap, a color-matching game where you try to tap the block before the robot taps its own when both blocks have the same light color.
App and Limitations
When you win, Cozmo complains and gets grumpy, refusing to play again. But if Cozmo wins, get ready to be the center of mockery while the little robot celebrates in front of you. All of this is coordinated through the mobile app, via an iOS or Android device. The only downside is that while connected to the app, the device cannot connect to the internet, and leaving the app will put the robot to sleep after a short time. Of course, this may be resolved with future software updates, but it can annoy the most impatient kids. Developed by Anki, Cozmo is now on sale for $180, and you can order yours from the official website.
