Robots are hard to talk to. They’re not friendly, they’re mostly made of plastic, and, as anyone who has tried to chat with a Roomba can attest, they are often dedicated to a single task. Luckily, there’s ApriPetit.
Toshiba’s R&D department built ApriPetit as a successor to their larger ApriPoco. This little guy is about six inches tall and follows along to conversations by moving its slug-like body and eyes in ways that resemble proper conversation.
This wee fellow is designed to help older folks with their daily chores. Its eyes are expressive and will follow the user across a room and it can ask and answer simple questions relating to health and mood.
The robot is part of Toshiba’s “Advanced Personal Robots with Intelligence” project and is not yet for sale.