This floating AI robot looks like it escaped a Studio Ghibli film, and that’s exactly the point
Most home robots today have one thing in common: they’re loud, rigid, and unmistakably robotic. Whether it’s a vacuum cleaner bumping into furniture or a drone buzzing overhead, they’re built to perform tasks – not necessarily to make people feel comfortable. Researchers in Japan think there’s a better way, and it starts with taking inspiration from animated creatures rather than industrial machines.
- ▪Most home robots today have one thing in common: they’re loud, rigid, and unmistakably robotic.
- ▪Whether it’s a vacuum cleaner bumping into furniture or a drone buzzing overhead, they’re built to perform tasks – not necessarily to make people feel comfortable.
- ▪Researchers in Japan think there’s a better way, and it starts with taking inspiration from animated creatures rather than industrial machines.
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Most home robots today have one thing in common: they’re loud, rigid, and unmistakably robotic. Whether it’s a vacuum cleaner bumping into furniture or a drone buzzing overhead, they’re built to perform tasks – not necessarily to make people feel comfortable. Researchers in Japan think there’s a better way, and it starts with taking inspiration from animated creatures rather than industrial machines. A research team led by Mingyang Xu at Keio University, in collaboration with institutions including the MIT Media Lab, has unveiled a prototype floating companion robot that glides silently through the air instead of rolling across the floor.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Digital Trends.
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