The Lovot (short for Love Robot) is a fuzzy, cuddly-looking robot that rolls around your house on wheels and is designed specifically to make you happy. It has a number of sensors meant to help it keep tabs on your mood and feelings in order to provide you with an appropriate type of companionship. It’s been programmed with artificial intelligence in order to be as empathetic as possible. At $3000 it’s a little out of reach for most people right now, but the price is sure to drop and technology is sure to improve.
Other robots are being released that are meant as companions as well, a large range of which were showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. Many of the robots are mobile and able to perform simple tasks such as grabbing something from the kitchen for you or turning lights off and on. Many of them are able to carry on a conversation with you (unlike the Lovot, which is more like a pet than an assistant).
It’s also thought that robots like this may, in the long run, be used to help the elderly and others who need assistance. The tech is still far from being practical for the average person but it seems that the idea of having robots in people’s homes is not too far from becoming a reality.
