What’s All the Fuss About?

They’re here to read you bedtime stories and stop you feeling lonely

Social robots

What are they?

Artificially intelligent (AI) devices designed to interact with human beings on some kind of social level – for example, by communicating verbally or via facial ‘expressions’. Social robots was one of the most-hyped trends at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January.

They’re just a gimmick though, right?

We’ve see plenty of robots before – chess-playing robots, back-flipping robots and so on – but they’ve tended to be either early prototypes or glorified promotional tools for headline-chasing companies. What we saw at this year’s CES was more interesting. Not only were there robots from a number of big-name companies – such as LG’S CLOI and Sony’s Aibo – but several of the products on display (including Jibo, Buddy and Luka) were the finished articles, not works in progress.

Are they like Amazon Echo and Google Home?

You could think of them as the next step up. They combine the technology found in smart speakers (including sensors and microphones) with advanced AI wizardry, such as machine learning and facial recognition, to help them react to and interact with the world around them. They’re permanently connected to the internet, so can provide you with weather reports and traffic updates, and play music. But unlike smart speakers, social robots have a ‘personality’ that’s supposed to make you think of them as a member of the household (a dog you don’t need to take for a walk, if you like).

Can you actually buy one?

Not in the UK. Cute robot Jibo ( www.jibo. com) is already available in the US and Canada priced $899 (around £650), though it’s unlikely to reach the UK after the company scrapped its worldwide release. Meanwhile Luka (pictured below left), an owl-like robot companion for children, is on sale in China, and is due to hit US shelves (with an estimated $150/£110 price tag) later this year. It can read bedtime stories for children.

Isn’t that what parents are for?

You’d think so. Kids are already addicted to phones; the last thing they need is another technological distraction. Perhaps robots are more relevant for those at the other end of life’s journey. Later this year US company Intuition Robotics will launch the Elliq ( https:// elliq.com), an ‘active aging companion’ that reminds users to take medication and helps them connect to family over communication apps, without the need for any technical knowledge (see main image - Elliq is the one on the right).

Why does it look more like a lamp than a robot?

That’s what they all look like: a white plastic design that’s meant to look like a head and body. Most social robots are static, however, so the overall impression is that of a futuristic garden gnome.

Will they ever catch on?

Hard to say. Tech companies have been trying to push smart home technology at us for years, with varying degrees of success. We suspect the popularity of the Amazon Echo and Google Home devices is because they’re cheap – Amazon’s Echo Dot costs just £50, for example. Fewer people are likely to take a punt on a social robot at over £650.

Will they turn against us and take over the world?

Unlikely. If you’re worried, watch LG’S disastrous CLOI demonstration at CES: www.snipca.com/26816. Robot apocalypse? Computer says no.

Their ‘personality’ is supposed to make you think of them as a member of the household