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Robosoft Kompai takes care of your elderly so you don't have to (video)
This one has been quite a long time in coming, but Robosoft's service drone has finally made it off the drawing board, collected a catchy name, and headed off to the big world to seek its fortune as an R&D platform. Kompai is a personal assistance bot built around speech -- it understands basic instructions and requests and offers appropriate responses with its own monotonic style. It'll serve as a note and shopping list recorder, a calendar, a music player, or a video conferencing tool for when old grandpappy needs to call his doctor. If you think having a programmable hunk of mobile metal that's permanently connected to the net in your house is a good idea, look out for OEMs picking up the design during the Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference taking place next week. And if you just wanna see a bug-eyed bot talk to an old dude, click past the break for the video. [Thanks, Erico]
Robosoft shows off Microsoft Robotics Studio-based service robot
It looks like France's Robosoft is keen on getting its robots into as many places as possible, with it now following up its RobuCab and RobuDog with a service robot designed to help the elderly and disabled. Like the RobuDog, this one makes heavy use of Microsoft Robotics Studio, and provides just about all the features you'd expect from a 24-hour monitoring bot, including daily reminders, remote teleconferencing abilities, scaring off of house pets, and alerts if the patient falls or is in trouble. The company apparently even hopes to add cleaning capabilities to the mix, although there's no indication as to when the robot will actually be put into service. Head on past the break for a glimpse of it in action.
Robotic robuCAB takes you on a slow speed, autonomous ride of doom
We've already seen strikes caused over the introduction of some relatively minor technology in taxis, but that's nothing compared to the brouhaha that could be in store one day in the future, at least if things like the robuCAB are any indication. That seemingly innocuous vehicle pictured above (along with an approximation of a future model) is developed by France's Robosoft, and has apparently proven itself successful in the limited uses it's been put to so far, with it relying a a series of cameras that keep track of the curb and some sensors placed beneath the ground. Needless to say, those requirements should let cabbies rest easy for now but, given other recent developments, it seems pretty likely that the Great Taxi Strike of 2025 is becoming more and more inevitable.
RobuDog fetches, plays dead, has WiFi
France's Robosoft has just announced a new bot model set to roll off of its assembly line, dubbed the RobuDog. The Windows XP-programmable canine was shown at RoboCup this year and will be made available for public consumption sometime this Fall. The little pup has a 500MHz onboard processor, 802.11b/g, 17 joints, 2 infrared sensors, an "intelligent" color camera, and floor-contact sensors on each foot. The dog also features articulated ankles, which make it easier for it to find its footing and allow the bot do things like kick soccer balls or dance (if you're interested in those sorts of activities). Additionally, the dog can interface with Microsoft's Robotics Studio 1.5, which allows you to create actions in virtual simulations which you can upload back to the bot. Available soon for 3,200 Euros, or about $4397.[Via Gearlog]
