Strange robot designs at CES 2018
From pole dancers to cuddly puppies, the tech giants brought some truly unique inventions to CES this year.
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LG CloiIntroduced by the South Korean technology company as a robotic housekeeper integrated with Google Assistant, this robot was presented as a simple tool for optimizing home management. However, contrary to expectations, the robot embarrassed LG on the launch stage when it failed to respond to any commands from the company's marketing director. |
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| Robot dancerThe robot was brought from London to CES this year by Sapphire Las Vegas. Its body is assembled from plastic pieces to create a soft feel, along with a wiring system that allows for smooth movement. In contrast to its "sexy" body design, the robot's head is actually a camera. Sapphire Las Vegas says the purpose of exhibiting this robot is to attract more women to their nightclub. |
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| WalkerWalker is another type of robotic housekeeper from Ubtech of China. However, Walker has no arms; it can only help you turn on/off networked smart devices, act as a calendar, a mobile email checker, and play soccer with children. Strangely, Walker has excellent balance and weighs only 38 kg. If the power is cut off, it will maintain its original position; in the worst-case scenario, Walker will intentionally fall in a different direction to avoid endangering those around it. |
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| ForpheusThis is a table tennis robot manufactured by Omron Automation, capable of predicting opponent's actions through a body language observation system, thereby devising optimal strategies to read the opponent's mind. |
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| PepperThis is an intelligent robot brought to CES 2018 by SoftBank Robotics, capable of sensing your psychological state simply by analyzing your smile, frown, voice, or nonverbal actions, and even more remarkably, analyzing user behavior just from the perspective of the head. |
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| BuddyEquipped with a cute face and a complex programmed brain structure, Buddy functions like a virtual assistant, from making video calls to checking the time and reminding users. Additionally, it can act on its own to attract attention from its owner, or become angry if its eyes are touched. |
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| Honda 3E RobotThe collection includes four types of robots designed to assist humans in various situations. The 3E-A18 robot, shaped like a roly-poly toy, acts as a companion, reacting to user emotions with its diverse facial expressions. The 3E-B18B robot is a self-driving chair that can be used both indoors and outdoors. The remaining two members are developed based on the concept of self-driving vehicles. Specifically, the 3E-C18 robot is a versatile machine for transporting goods, while the 3E-D18 off-road vehicle, with its artificial intelligence, assists its owner in various professions. |
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| AiboAibo is a line of robotic dogs with many special features from Sony. Aibo can understand its owner's hand gestures, such as shaking hands and sitting down on command. The robot has OLED eyes and a camera hidden in its nose, acting as a webcam to monitor when the user is away. The action sensor system on Aibo's back is very sensitive; it can compare the level of satisfaction from each pet between users, and then tends to follow the one it finds more appealing. |
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| SolannaSolanna is the second sex robot in Abyss Creations' RealDoll line, incorporating AI technology that allows it to talk, flirt, and play with users like a real "lover." The robot's AI software can be downloaded to smartphones running Android 5.0 or higher, and is used to adjust Solanna's personality and thoughts, or activate its automatic reaction mode based on situations. Solanna can also be customized with its face and hair according to customer requests. |
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| BeamPro 2Owned by Suitable Technologies and the successor to the BeamPro camera robot, the BeamPro 2 integrates a wide-angle camera to capture surrounding images and a secondary camera for users to adjust its direction via a laptop. Furthermore, the robot is equipped with a 3D depth sensor, a light sensor (which automatically adjusts screen brightness), and three speakers that the company promotes as providing a truly immersive audio experience. The main screen can be adjusted up or down within a range of 25 cm. |
