Nicobo: Panasonic's Moody, Flatulent Robot That Looks Like a Cat in a Sock
During the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, many wanted to socialize more but had to stay at home. If you don't have a dog, cat or other pet, a companion robot may suit you. If you have also long been looking for something special with its own personality, Panasonic has created a robot you will like.
The company said: "This is one of the paradoxes of the 21st century in developed countries. The more we are "connected" to each other through smartphones and social networks, the more disconnected and lonely we feel. Some get superficial stimulation from online games and similar distractions, but miss the emotional stimulation that personal friendly communication brings."
Loneliness among older people has long been a problem in many countries, as more and more elderly people live alone and far from their families. However, this "disease" increasingly affects young people as well. In 2019, a survey in Australia found that even before the coronavirus, every third young person aged 18 to 25 reported problems with loneliness.
With the help of Michio Okada's laboratory at Toyohashi University of Technology, the company created a cute cat-like robot named Nicobo, which looks like a cat stuck in a sock. Thanks to this bot, you will never be lonely. The name comes from the Japanese word for "smile," so the robot was designed to make its owners smile as often as possible.
Instead of mopping floors or doing laundry, the robot offers simple companionship. When you pet it, its tail starts wagging approvingly.
It has many features users expect from such a device: face recognition via camera, and the ability to listen and respond to voice using directional microphones. The bot has touch sensors, so it knows when you touch or hug it.
According to Professor Michio Okada, research has shown that feeling responsible for something small and vulnerable can ease people's loneliness and give them a sense of competence and autonomy. In other words, it is a small pet that needs no feeding, creates no mess and doesn't bother your neighbors.
Among its unique abilities are bouts of flatulence and bad moods. Some days the robot does not really want to respond to you, or may even pass gas in your direction. Sometimes Nicobo starts talking even when you are not addressing it. However, don't expect the robot to follow you around the room. It always stays in place, and its only movement abilities are rotating and looking up or down.
The robot's vocabulary is quite limited. At the very beginning it knows only one word (like Groot from "Guardians of the Galaxy"), but over time it will be able to speak full Japanese sentences, just like a toddler. There will never be a full conversation with Nicobo, but its babbling helps reinforce the feeling that it is genuinely attentive and attuned to your feelings. Sometimes that is all a person needs.
“The downside of having so many convenient devices in your life is that they can make people (especially lonely ones) feel somehow less alive. So we decided to create a "weak robot" — a dependent companion that aims to awaken people's thoughtfulness and provide the emotional stimulation that is increasingly missing from life”
Nicobo encourages people to help. It somewhat resembles a garbage-collecting robot that does not collect trash itself. Instead, it wanders around, prompting people to notice the trash there and pick it up. Unlike robots that perform physical tasks and need room to move, Nicobo takes up very little space.
Unfortunately, buying a Nicobo will not be easy in the near future. Panasonic planned to release only 320 robots in the initial production run, and pre-orders sold out in just six hours.
The robot costs about $360. After the first six months, those who managed to pre-order will have to pay around $10 per month for updates and features such as smartphone pairing. There is a chance Panasonic will see the widespread interest in the robot and increase production.
At present, the robot is being developed with the Japanese market in mind, but the company expects that this unusual cat could attract attention in many overseas markets, especially in cities with demographics similar to major Japanese cities. The robot prototype is being tested and refined.
“Our ultimate goal is for people to discover more of their inner kindness and to value feelings of camaraderie and affection. We also aim to normalize relationships between people and robots — our vision is for it to become normal for people and robots to live together in the society of the future”
