Robot set to chat with humans — in space
Developers from the Kirobo project, named after “kibo” or hope in Japanese and “robot”, gathered in Tokyo to demonstrate the humanoid robot’s ability to talk.
In a scene straight out of Star Wars, the pint-sized Kirobo fielded questions from curious journalists who asked what it was going to do in space.
“This may look a small step, but it will be a big stride as a robot,” the black-and-white humanoid robot fitted with bright red boots replied.
“Russia was the first to go outer space, the US was the first to go to the moon, we want Japan to be the first to send a robot-astronaut to space that can communicate with humans,” said Yorichika Nishijima, the Kirobo project manager.
The experiment is a collaboration between advertising and PR company Dentsu, the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Robo Garage, and Toyota.
Robo Garage chief executive Tomotaka Takahashi, also an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said he hopes robots like Kirobo that hold conversations will eventually be used to assist astronauts working in space.
“When people think of robots in outer space, they tend to seek ones that do things physically,” he said.
“But I think there is something that could come from focusing on humanoid robots that focus on communication.”
Because Kirobo does not need to perform physical activities, it is smaller than most robots that go into space. Kirobo is about 34cm and weighs 1kg.
Its land-based counterpart Mirata looks almost identical but is not designed to go into outer space. Instead it has the ability to learn through the conversations it has.
During the demonstration, Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota, asked Kirobo what its dream was.
“I want to create a future where humans and robots can live together and get along,” it replied.
Kirobo is scheduled to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Aug 4.
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