SoftBank Alum Unveils 'Affectionate' Companion Robot In Japan

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Japan-based startup Groove X, founded by an Alumni of Softbank Group Corp robotics unit, has now revealed its first creation on last Tuesday, a companion robot which is designed to make the users happy.
Hayashi worked on the Softbank humanoid Pepper robot, which can be found so much greeting customers in the restaurants and shops across entire Japan but has been a flip-flop with the households three years after its initial launch.

Japan-based startup Groove X, founded by an Alumni of Softbank Group Corp robotics unit, has now revealed its first creation on last Tuesday, a companion robot which is designed to make the users happy.

The Lovot, an amalgam of “robot” and “love” cannot just help with the household work but it will “draw out the ability to love”, the company revealed in a report.

With the help of Artificial Intelligence to interact and communicate with its surroundings, the wheeled machine resembles a penguin with the cartoonish human eyes, that also has an interchangeable outfits and even communicates in squeaks.

It is designed to mimic affection for the users who show it kindness by simply becoming warm to the touch, and is going to “sleep” when it is cuddles or following the users when called.

The lovot will also be going to compete with the SONY Corp AI supported and powered robot dog Aibo, revived last year more than a decade after it simply ceased production.

Hayashi worked on the Softbank humanoid Pepper robot, which can be found so much greeting customers in the restaurants and shops across entire Japan but has been a flip-flop with the households three years after its initial launch.

Softbank has also recently increased its focus on the practical robots, with respect to the last month launching the Whiz autonomous cleaning machine which works on the technology from the portfolio company US-based Brain Corp.

As with Pepper, Lovot uptake is likely to be hampered by its hefty cost of $3100 before the tax ongoing subscription fees.