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JIBO, The World’s First Family Robot — Parallax Forums

JIBO, The World’s First Family Robot

Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
edited 2014-07-18 16:54 in General Discussion

http://news.yahoo.com/katie-couric-social-robot-jibo-205004529.html
Small stature, big personality: Family robot Jibo hits the market.
He stands only 11 inches tall, but Jibo makes a big impression the moment you meet him. Jibo is the world's first family robot. He makes his debut today. I got a sneak peek when I visited Cynthia Breazeal, a pioneer of social robotics, at the MIT Media Lab.
Yes, Jibo can sing and dance. He can greet you and remind you to call your mother. But Jibo's potential extends far beyond engaging in casual conversation and completing daily tasks.

http://www.myjibo.com/
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Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-07-16 09:43
    I thought Hero Jr was the first family robot, clear back in the 1980's! From http://www.theoldrobots.com/herojr.html

    A friendly robot, HERO JR will fit right in with your family and into your home. It singing songs like "Daisy" and "America"; saying preprogrammed phrases; exploring and moving about, using sensors to avoid obstacles and seek out humans; playing games; telling nursery rhymes; and gabbing in "Roblish." He guards your home and can even wake you in the morning and guide you through an exercise routine. It explores its surroundings and seeks to remain near human companions.

    With this time-keeping ability, HERO JR can act as an alarm clock and awaken you at a specified time. After your wake-up call, it listens to be sure you are awake or permits two ten minute snoozes if you desire.

    It can also be made to announce the week day, date and time at set intervals or just at one important time and date. A DEMO feature activates a built-in "Robot Variety Show" which demonstrates the Robot's ability to see, hear, speak, tell time and move. HERO JR can carry your favorite beverage (up to 10 lbs.) in a 94 cubic inch compartment.

    HERO JR can guard your home against intruders and can be used with the GDA-2800 Security System. The Robot give a verbal warning and asks for a password when its sensors detect a presence. The wrong or no response causes HERO JR to activate the security system.

    HERO JR has a 17 key keypad which lets you modify its personality to initiate a task. The keypad has clearly marked function keys including Sing, Play, Poet, Gab, Alarm, Guard, Help, Plan, Setup, and Enter. Eight LED's flash in time with speech.

    Reminds me of Subaru calling their Outback the world's first 4WD sport ute. They forgot AMC's Eagle, also from the 1980's.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 09:53
    I think I'm going to throw up.

    What if all these guys making commercials that consist of a lot of "What if...." questions would earn their salary and come up with something more imaginative. Or at least less annoying.

    "Good night JIBO". Excuse me I have to run to the bathroom.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-07-16 10:00
    Heater. wrote: »
    I think I'm going to throw up.

    Agreed. The only platitude worse than "What if..." is:

    "The only limit is your imagination!"
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 10:14
    It's not just the stupid "What if..." thing. It's the whole happy family style of the presentation. It's like having to relive an episode of the Waltons.

    There is a gross contradiction in there. At the beginning it is pointed out that you have things and you have people and that it's the people that are important. So far so good. Although it's already tending towards nausea inducing. But by the end the frikken robot gets all the affection.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-07-16 11:26
    Well ...

    I enjoyed the video with the sound turned off. I dare not turn it on! Thanks for the warning.

    Marketeers and other gainsaying promoters take great artistic license leaps (lots of bulls*).
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2014-07-16 12:04
    Ignoring the marketing fluff, Jibo looks interesting from a technical point of view. However, I'd be a bit concerned about placing a device in my house with cameras and microphones that's always connected to the "Cloud". What happens if Jibo catches on, and there are millions of them in homes around the world. Hello big brother.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-07-16 12:14
    Dave Hein wrote: »
    Hello big brother.

    Ya, my initial reaction. LOL.

    1984 was a great book, but a horrible movie ... too grey for my taste ;-)

    Careful, big facebook is watching ....
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2014-07-16 12:30
    Having read a couple sci-fi books in my life, I like the direction this is going. But the mawkish treacle being dispensed in this video disturbs me.
  • rod1963rod1963 Posts: 752
    edited 2014-07-16 13:13
    Creepy, big brotherish and just something that reminds me of the Forbin Project.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-07-16 13:20
    After seeing that 'faamily' I now need to say;

    *Jibo, call my doctor. I need to be tested for diabetes*....
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 13:23
    rod1963,
    Creepy...
    Yes, and I didn't like the robot much either.
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-07-16 13:43
    Anybody go to the preorder window? It looks like there are 475 supporters, and $208,011 raised of $100,000, but it looks like you will not get one until Dec 2015. After looking at the video, at the end, does she look like she would want to be "Big Sister"?

    Ray
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-07-16 13:52
    The thing is, this could be seen as a perfect private equity investor opportunity, to be listed in public within a few years.

    Anything "social" (blech, twisted online version of getting together) is just too easy to pass up these days. Just think of all the twits and licks (tweets and likes) being sucked up by marketeers and sold as "customer equity" to real cash carrying businesses.

    This is a different world from the one we grew up in, and all the socialites have finally given up their distaste for geek (as long as it's lean and clean of course) and just love "selling out" (even if they know what that means).
  • mklrobomklrobo Posts: 420
    edited 2014-07-16 14:12
    Heater. wrote: »
    I think I'm going to throw up.

    What if all these guys making commercials that consist of a lot of "What if...." questions would earn their salary and come up with something more imaginative. Or at least less annoying.

    "Good night JIBO". Excuse me I have to run to the bathroom.

    But it's so cute...................:lol:

    I want to thank Ron Czapala for presenting this information to the forum. Definitely a new perspective. It's perfectly apparent that Robotics is desired
    to be at home(follow the money, investment); in what form, who knows? If this turns out to be a fad, or a stepping stone to a perspective that no one
    considered, at least we evolving, not de-volving. There are rich people who are willing to invest in robots, as I indicated in the Parallax huminoid thread.

    From Dream to Design, at the speed of imagination*
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 14:18
    Ray,
    ...475 supporters, and $208,011 raised of $100,000,...
    How does that work out?

    That's about 200 dollars per unit. Perhaps a reasonable selling price once you have the production lines up and running and producing millions of the things.

    But surely it would take an order of magnitude or more cash to design and develop the thing and get set up for that level of production.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-07-16 14:33
    I think you guys are all missing two salient points:

    1) The only limit is your imagination.
    2) Cynthia is one of a handful of young doctorate ladies in robotics. (Remember Helen Greiner?)

    Jibo will probably do fine as a result.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 14:42
    Erco,

    I don't get your point...or joke. Helen made useful things like bomb disposal robots. Cynthia makes, well, whatever you call those things that make you want to heave.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-07-16 14:44
    First, he looks tethered to me. Also, I did not see him walk or roll on his own.
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2014-07-16 14:48
    Perhaps a bomb disposal robot could dangle JIBO out in front of it to provide video feedback plus commentary from JIBO. If the bomb happens to go off we will just have one less JIBO. Seems like a win-win situation.
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-07-16 14:50
    First, he looks tethered to me. Also, I did not see him walk or roll on his own.
    Have you seen the majority of the industrial "Robots"?, they do not walk or roll.

    Ray
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 14:53
    NWCCTV,

    Good point. In the video the thing is always conveniently in the right location to do what ever it does. On the table to take that family photo. By the bed to say good night to and so on.

    Does that mean we are supposed to have a dozen of these hideous things watching us from every corner of the house plus dominating some central locations? Does it mean we have to carry the thing around the place all the time? What about power? I presume it runs off batteries. So now we have to feed it every day.

    I think HAL was more discreet.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 14:59
    Dave,
    Perhaps a bomb disposal robot could dangle JIBO out in front of it to provide video feedback plus commentary from JIBO.
    You just planted a delicious idea in my mind. It would almost be worth buying a JIBBER, sorry JIBO, so as to enter it into a Robot Wars contest:)
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2014-07-16 15:04
    Maybe with its human-like qualities it will be able to dissuade flame-throwing chainsaw-wielding battlebots to not attack it, and then cause them to go into self-destruct mode with its monotonous droning. Or the battlebot will just flame-throw and chainsaw it with deadly precision. Another win-win situation.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 15:14
    I was hoping for the latter.

    Problem is how to stop the battle bot from throwing up all over the place.
  • mklrobomklrobo Posts: 420
    edited 2014-07-16 18:28
    Dave Hein wrote: »
    Ignoring the marketing fluff, Jibo looks interesting from a technical point of view. However, I'd be a bit concerned about placing a device in my house with cameras and microphones that's always connected to the "Cloud". What happens if Jibo catches on, and there are millions of them in homes around the world. Hello big brother.

    !Danger, Will Robinson, Danger! Your Jibo has been hacked! -     exclaims your Parallax huminoid robot.

    You have a point. All the family has been exposed to potential hackers; They know when and where you and
    you family are, or will be. Bank accounts and all personal data at risk. A hacker is not someone you want alone
    with family members. Security risk, high.:frown:
    I do like it, but needs to be in a closed system.
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2014-07-16 20:07
    JIBO? urbandictionary that.
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2014-07-16 20:10
    Heater. wrote: »
    By the bed to say good night to and so on.

    The TV will be resentful.
  • RS_JimRS_Jim Posts: 1,766
    edited 2014-07-16 20:34
    PJ Allen wrote: »
    JIBO? urbandictionary that.
    Rofl!
    Jim
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-16 20:46
    Here is a disturbing news report about JIBO. http://news.yahoo.com/katie-couric-social-robot-jibo-205004529.html

    Seems they are planning on having that ghastly thing watch over me in my old age. Worse still replacing the human interaction between children and their teachers and class mates in schools.

    I knew it, the designer of that monstrosity says she was inspired at a young age by the most nauseating movie robots ever, the comedy duo from Star Wars.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-07-16 21:08
    I like the way the machine appears to project emotions. And the way the people easily reciprocate the emotions.

    At this point, machine emotion is at best a simulation, and at worst a lie. The opportunities for abuse are endless! I want one.

    I wonder if these would fit on Arlo?
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