Kompott 'robotic agent' helps the elderly stay connected, enjoys a nap
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 11th 2010 10:10PM
posted July 11th 2010 10:10PM
Full-fledged humanoid robots helping the elderly are certainly well and good, but what about somebody that just needs a little help staying in touch with their family? They might one day be using something like this so-called Kompott "robotic agent" designed by some students at the Zurich University of the Arts Interaction Design lab. As you can see, it's actually just a robot head, which has a touchscreen for a face and a couple of sensors that let you tap it on top to wake it up, and on each side to scroll through items. To simplify things even further, the bot also boasts both voice recognition and text-to-speech, and a single button on its chest that lets you access a list of contacts. Of course, it's still just a prototype, but it does appear to be fully functional -- head on past the break to check it out in action.
And we get fatter....
@Cainhunpi
I hope it likes being punched in the side of the head, also!
@Cainhunpi
gives new meaning to phone ***
@Cainhunpi
What on earth are you talking about?
This is an awesome interface! It's simple, straightforward, physical (rather than amorphous or abstract clicks, double clicks, and right clicks) and consistent.
The lady had no trouble figuring out what to do. She even hesitated for a second before realizing herself that she could just do what she had been doing before. She knew that if she wanted to go to the next thing, she could just tap the right side, etc.
Awesome!
@Mike10010100
Looks like the spooky masks that the dead crew wore in the 'Black Hole'...
@Warlock234 In mid-21st century Germany, robot punches YOU in the head.
@Cainhunpi
Can the robot record video? If so, I wanna see is the robot saying, "Hey Grandma, I found a video you might like. It's called "2 girls, 1 cup" *blink* recording...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SsUTLAhbWE
@Warlock234 LOL, yeah especially when you start getting all those junkmails :) I'd probably too punch my monitor from time to time if it was made out of something soft and didn't break :)
Especially for certain "enlargement" messages...
this will only encourage my grand parents to pat me on the head more...
@brentos99
They will pat you on the head even more once you move out their basement...Trust me, I know from experience.
it looks like it's wearing a haz-mat suit, but other than that...
Would be just as good or better as an "app" on top of a future tablet phone. Why the robot head?
@numbnuts Like Mike10010100 said:
"This is an awesome interface! It's simple, straightforward, physical (rather than amorphous or abstract clicks, double clicks, and right clicks) and consistent."
Look at it from an elderly persons point of view. This makes alot of sense.
@Bahumbug
I understand the usability of just touching the top and sides of the interface... the head shape just doesn't seem necessary. But then again I'm not elderly yet. Maybe they can only see spheres and not rectangles :P
Let's go R2-D2, it seems you have been replaced.
@pple is poo
do us all a favor and shut up!
apple does not need to brought in every dam post jeez
It's the last head grandpa will ever get.
I hope the doesn't come when robots walk down the street.
The robot looks startled by grandma's bumps
@pple is poo
Wait till you get your bill... then we'll see who's getting owned by apps.
"help! i've fallen and my robot overlord's keeping me down!"
">head on< past the break to check it out in action."
I see what you did there.
there are times when i'd like to smack my pc upside the monitor