An assistant and a companion, apparently
By Rob Thubron Today 10:21 AM
In brief: In what could be the first example of an AI and robot integration that isn't going to steal jobs or kill us all, LG has revealed a distinctly non-threatening bot that can perform a multitude of tasks as it wanders around your house, including keeping an eye on your pets when you're not home.
LG's smart home artificial intelligence agent, set to be shown off at CES in a couple of weeks, uses its two legs and set of wheels to navigate a user's home independently.
LG says the robot is a home manager and companion rolled into one, able to use its speaker and various sensors to gather real-time environmental data, including temperature, humidity and indoor air quality. The bot can also interact with smart home devices and even autonomously patrol a home when an owner is away, sending notifications if it discovers an open window or light that has been left on. One feature that could appeal to pet owners is the robot's ability to allow animal parents to see and care for their pets remotely and send alerts if any unusual activity is detected.
"Have you ever seen Megan?"
The companion part refers to the robot greeting users when they return home. LG says it can discern their emotions by analyzing their voice and facial expressions, and select music or other content to suit their mood. That presumably means it'll play something to boost your emotional state, rather than blasting out Radiohead and sending sad people into a spiral of depression.
The robot can also perform digital assistant-style tasks such as providing personal schedules and giving people reminders.
Robotics RB5 Platform, enabling powerful on-device AI features such as face and user recognition. The AI agent utilizes its built-in camera, speaker and various sensors to gather real-time environmental data, including temperature, humidity and indoor air quality. LG’s advanced AI technologies analyze this data, continuously learning and combining it with external information. The AI agent can even act as a pet monitor and security guard, providing users with the ability to see and care for their pets remotely and sending alerts if any unusual activity is detected.”