It's called Kirobo Mini, it is 10 centimeters tall and weighs 183 grams. It looks like a puppet that can fit in a pocket or in a car's drink holder, but in reality it is able to turn its head towards its interlocutor, recognize it and start chatting with it. It's a small robot designed by Toyota Motor, which will launch it on the Japanese market early next year for around $390.
The little robot is the younger brother of Kirobo, a humanoid who stayed on the International Space Station for 18 months. He is equipped with a video camera, microphone and Bluetooth with which he connects to his cell phone, an indispensable connection for voice recognition thanks to which the robot understands what is being said to him. "The intelligence - explain the creators - is that of a five-year-old child, while its value is above all emotional".
The affinity with the Toyota car manufacturer is currently low, but the company's goal would be to exploit Kirobo's abilities to help those who are driving, for example by conversing to avoid falling asleep. Or, in case of hard braking, Kirobo says: "Ooops!". And once parked, if we leave him in the car, he asks to be able to come with us.
