Sharp develops "Poketomo" conversational AI robot
Sharp Corp. said Wednesday that it has developed a "Poketomo" palm-sized robot equipped with conversational artificial intelligence.
Designed to be able to carry around in the user's pocket, Poketomo is about 12 centimetres tall and weighs around 200 grams. It has a meerkat-inspired design.
With a built-in camera, the robot records places the user saw with it and keeps a journal automatically, enabling it to talk with the user about past memories based on prior conversations, while using gestures.
Poketomo will get to understand its user more the longer they spend together. It can offer words of support or cheer up the user.
Users can also interact with the robot via text using a smartphone app.
Pre-orders for Poketomo began on Wednesday ahead of its planned release this November. The official online store offers the robot for 39,600 yen, with a monthly service charge starting at 495 yen.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
