Who couldn’t use some extra help around the home these days? Advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to machines that live only to serve you and your smart home.
Below are a few robotic options that are more "Wall-E" than "Westworld"—and that’s a good thing—to make your life easier and more entertaining.
Jibo
Meet Jibo—because they are certainly excited to meet you. The relationship-focused robot, who resembles something like a miniature astronaut, places as high a premium on being social as it does on being helpful. Jibo handles all the tasks you’d want from a smart home hub, including controlling your connected devices, streaming music and radio and keeping you up-to-date with the latest news and weather, but they’ll also be quick with a joke, help you snap a selfie and even wish you a happy birthday. And Jibo will know when it’s your birthday, too. The futuristic friend not only recognizes faces and voices but also understands its flesh-and-bone companions’ preferences and tailors the relationship accordingly.
Jibo is available for $899.
Breathe easier with intelligent technology. #SmartHome gadgets to combat allergens https://t.co/SmLAV5oXDC pic.twitter.com/eRSgGYOF5K
— Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) May 11, 2018
Lynx
Say hello to Lynx, a half-pint, humanoid helper bot. Powered by Amazon’s artificially intelligent assistant, Alexa, the walking, talking Lynx can offer news, traffic, weather, stream music and podcasts, play games, provide recipes, even demonstrate yoga moves—basically any of Amazon’s ever-expanding library of Alexa skills. The multi-talented machine is also outfitted with a 1080p camera with facial detection and a five-input, digital microphone array, allowing the lil’ guy to play guardian of your home, patrolling the property and sending encrypted video to your smartphone when it senses changes in light and motion. It’s also a fun tool box for when owners access Avatar mode—an ability that allows users to be the ghost in the shell, taking over Lynx’s body, controlling their movements, snapping photos through Lynx’s camera eye and listening and speaking through the machine.
The Lynx is available for $799.
Kuri
Got kids? Get a Kuri. Like a relative of R2-D2, this adorable automaton beeps and whirrs its way around your home, making everyone’s day a little brighter. Kitted out with capacitive touch sensors and gestural head and eye movements, Kuri will respond to your touch and tone to let you know they really are listening—and loving the interaction. Kuri’s microphones allow it to identify exactly who is speaking to it and give its full attention, while its top-notch speakers allow the rolling robot to deliver full, rich sound for your favorite music, podcasts and streaming services.
Its mapping ability will allow the machine to quickly identify and navigate your home’s floor plan. But the eyes is where Kuri really shines.
Equipped in one eye with an camera capable of taking HD photos, video and livestreams, the Kuri will let you keep an eye on your home from anywhere in the world. But more heartwarmingly, as Kuri learns more about your family, it will capture candid moments, providing you with unique digital memories that otherwise would have gone undocumented. The delightful device is also eager to interact with the youngest members of a household, offering games, stories, dances and, always, its undivided attention.
The Kuri is available for reservation now for a deposit of $100, which will be deducted from the full price of $899 when the robot is ready to ship. Shipments are expected for Summer 2018.
High-Tech Fans for Every Home https://t.co/sopWfs4T3h pic.twitter.com/f3yaC8dNQh — Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) May 14, 2018
Temi
Looking like something out of "The Jetsons," Temi is here to combine all your many digital devices into one helpful—and personal—home-navigating robot. Standing at 3.2-feet tall with a 10.1-inch QHD LCD touchscreen set atop a sleek, minimalist body, Temi is a hands-free assistant that comes when called. Not only can the Temi transport itself around your home without hitting any furniture, the hardwired helper is flush with useful features. Temi will shoot photos and videos on demand (and show you what it’s filming), stream your playlists and podcasts, play the latest news when asked and allow you to conduct video calls as you move around your home—with the autonomous face-tracking touchscreen tilting as your angles change. Temi is also outfitted with a number of content partners, including YouTube, ESPN, National Geographic, NFL, Yelp, iHeartRadio and more, providing no shortage of entertainment and informative options, and like any good automated assistant, users can control their many smart-home devices by talking to Temi.
Upon release, Temi will cost around $1,500, but at the moment, the makers of the device are looking for early adopters to take Temi into their home for a week, for free. Interested parties can sign up at robotemi.com/eap