In the popular 2014 animated film Big Hero 6, the protagonist has a robot called Max. This robot Max follows the commands of its master and scans a human to detect any physical harm done. Such a robot seems to be a novelty to own in case one would get the chance. But now a Hong Kong-based company has made it possible for us to own a robot which would follow our commands and work accordingly. NXRobo has created the first personalized family robot, the BIG-i robot. This robot also moonlights as a personal assistant, a home automation device, and a domestic robot. Its launch recently took place in New York by its inventor Dr. Tin Lun Lam. This robot can not only help humans but can also manage smart appliances on the basis of the needs of the family.
About BIG-i Personalized Family Robot
The BIG-i robot is basically a cylinder covered with a cushioned fabric and a large, mobile camera eye on its dome. This robot with a minimalistic appearance is 76.5 cm tall and weighs 12 kg. Despite having a limited scope of physical attributes, NXRobo claims that it has an impressive catalog of features and functions. This robot has the ability to improve itself. It becomes more and more thoughtful as well as intelligent in context to the instructions it receives. BIG-i is a great device to manage the household while the family can enjoy the precious moments together. This enables all the family members to experience the love and bond of togetherness without worrying about the domestic chores.
How does it function?
BIG-i receives the commands through voice programming and later translates these commands into speech through text recognition. With the help of semantic analysis, it understands the command given and installs it in the system. Based on this, it will contact the sensory organs needed for this command and confirm if the condition demanded is matched. If the answer is positive, BIG-i will perform the necessary functions and complete the task.
Specs of the BIG-i Personalized Family Robot
The robot has an open API and unique operating system which means the user can customize the BIG-i according to the needs of the family. It acts as a home automation system which can control electronic devices and also has natural language voice programming. Basically, BIG-i is an electronic butler which follows the owner around the house, waiting to receive its next command. For this, it has wheels to move around and built-in obstacle avoidance. To help this robot perform better, it contains a learning algorithm which enables it to recognize individuals and adapt to their behavior. This results in the better efficiency of its actions.
Another important feature of the BIG-i is that it can differentiate the family members from other unknown humans. It recognizes the voices of the family members registered in its system or recognizes their faces, only then it reacts to the command. This feature proves to be useful for safety as well. By giving the command for alarming the house on spotting an unknown person, one does not need a security guard at the doorstep. Currently, the BIG-i robot is available on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter in three colors; gray, blue, and orange.
BIG-i is available on Kickstarter Now!