The Alpha 2 robot will dance its way into your house and your heart
The field of human-like household robots got a little more crowded today as Ubtech Robotics launched a crowdfunding campaign for its new Alpha 2 humanoid companion-bot. This diminutive domestic drone is designed on the same premise as today's smartphones -- that is, it offers a responsive, intuitive and attractive platform on which to build intelligent and useful functionality. As such, the Alpha 2 is fully programmable, operates on an open-source OS and offers cutting-edge sensory inputs including ultrasonic, touch and pressure sensors. And unlike Pepper and Buddy, Alpha 2 actually has legs. In fact, with more than 20 servos packed into its joints, this robot is surprisingly spry.
The Alpha 2 isn't just nimble, it's quite smart as well. The robot's brain is connected to the cloud which allows it to leverage far more visual and audio processing power than what could be physically implanted in its plastic skull. These capabilities allow the Alpha 2 to perform a variety of tasks, from managing your calendar and providing remote home monitoring to tutoring your kids and entertaining pets. The company did not elaborate on how, exactly, it would entertain your pet but I assume it involves letting your cat push this $500 droid off of the kitchen counter.
