When you grow old and decrepit, a robot could be your in-home healthcare assistant. I know, it sounds creepy and foolish, but Toshiba has actually created a “communication android” concept that has the potential to change the service industry. She stared into our soul here at CES, and I don’t think we’ll ever be the same again.
The concept being shown off is called ChihiraAico, and its goal is to provide “real heart-warming communication with human-like facial expression.” She looks like a human, and acts human-ish. With some elbow grease and a lot of improvements, ChihiraAico might someday be in your home, waiting, catering to your every beck and call. She’s like Baymax from Big Hero 6 without all the cuddly marshmallow charm.
Toshiba says the concept is part of the company’s human smart community, which is cheerleading smarter living through energy, healthcare and storage. But despite her creepy stare and soulless appearance, ChihiraAico could actually be very useful for elderly care or for person’s with disabilities. That, of course, means many very capable humans could be out of jobs down the road. But robots are already replacing factory jobs, and it doesn’t look like it’ll stop there.
I could see ChihiraAico become a tour guide, or even take orders at a fast food restaurant. There are certainly a lot of possible use cases, though it seems Toshiba is focused on the healthcare industry at the moment. Even if the robot looks like it had too much plastic surgery, the technology inside is impressive nonetheless. She’s equipped with 43 pneumatic actuators—15 in her face, 4 in her body and 24 in her shoulders and arms.
Check out the video to see her in action. She’s like a futuristic version of the robotics used at Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Just imagine her standing over your as you sleep. The thought is both comforting and frightening at the same time.
Clik here to view.
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