AvatarMind is preparing a mobile humanoid robot capable of being modified by means of an SDK that works thanks to the operating system Android and ROS. The company is working on the project and recently began shipping an early version of the robot to China, and the version for the US market is now being prepared. The application of this robot seems to be aimed at children, as a companion of the smallest of the house, especially those with special needs, although programs are also implemented to keep the elderly and also hospitalized patients company. But it will not be limited to that, as it also has educational and healthcare applications.
The robot we are talking about is the one you see in the photo and it's called iPal. It measures just over a meter, specifically 105 cm high and is capable of moving like a person, just as it has that humanoid appearance that we already talked about. Has the ability to dialogue with people and understand human speech eloquently. The iPal can detect and respond to different emotions and can differentiate between a question and an answer with the tone of voice of the people with whom it relates. It will also recognize faces, be able to follow objects and work with mazes, adaptively learn the preferences and habits of the family members who host it, etc.
It has the ability to be programmed to sing songs, tell stories, dance, teach English, math, science, technology, and other topics. After the prototypes taught at CES 2017 it now seems that everything is ready for your marketing in Asia and America, probably at the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. And to modify its behavior and be able to control it, you already know that you have an SKD based on Android and ROS.
The robot with arms, hands with fingers (no grip function), legs (but it is moved by four wheels at its base), and head that give it that semi-humanoid look, will have a fairly cheap starting price for the included technology. in it. That is, for all the skills you have, $ 1500 or $ 2000 is not an overly high price. So iPal joins the long list of robots with Linux, like Pepper that we already talked about here and many others ...