The International Space Station (ISS) has received its latest arrival – talking robot Kirobo, after successfully docking a supply ship launched from Tanegashima Space Centre early August. Equipped with voice and facial-recognition technology, Kirobo stands 34 cm tall. Jointly developed by the University of Tokyo, Toyota and Dentsu Inc., its design is said to have been inspired by the Japanese anime character Astro Boy.
During one of its demonstrations, the robot’s developers asked Kirobo what its dream was. It replied that it “hoped to create a future where humans and robots live together and get along”.
Kirobo, whose name is derived from the Japanese words for “hope” and “robot”, will feature natural-language processing. It will record its conversations with astronaut Koichi Wakata (Japan’s first ISS commander) well as serve as a link for messages sent to the astronaut from the flight control room. Wakata and Kirobo will be companions, and with the robot’s biometric capabilities, it will be able to recognize and greet Wakata upon his arrival in November. Kirobo will also communicate with Mirata, its twin robot back on Earth, during its mission which will continue into 2014.
At a press event ahead of his launch, Kirobo said: “One small step for me, a giant leap for robots.”
Picture Credit : Google
