In what is being seen as the first conversation of its kind, the world's first robot astronaut chatted with the Japanese commander of the International Space Station, the Agence France-Presse reported.
Competent in learning how to respond appropriately to humans, Kirobo is a pint-sized android equipped with artificial intelligence. Awaiting the celebrations for Christmas, Kirobo told Koichi Wakata he expected a visit from a certain man bearing gifts, AFP reported.
"Santa Claus will come to space," Kirobo, wearing a Santa hat, told Wakata as they drifted in zero gravity hundreds of miles above the Earth.
"What will you ask for from Santa Claus, Kirobo?" asked the Japanese astronaut.
"I want a toy rocket... let's ask Santa Claus."
According to AFP, footage of the unscripted conversation held on Dec. 6 between Kirobo and Wakata, in Japanese, was unveiled on Friday. Part of a longer-term project, the experiment hopes to see how a robot can act as a companion for isolated people, particularly to see if it can develop conversational skills.
The wide-eyed and bootie-wearing Kirobo - roughly the size of a Chihuahua - left Earth on a cargo-carrying rocket and reached the space station on Aug. 10, AFP reported. He was joined at the ISS in November by Wakata, along with, Mikhail Tyurin of Russia and NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio.
"We've had some trouble before having the robot carry on the conversation smoothly," developer Tomotaka Takahashi said. "When people develop a relationship, it is an accumulation of small bits of communication. Small things make it work or not work.
"We've learnt important tips to develop a robot that can communicate with people more," he said.
Kirobo and his interlocutor managed several minutes of spontaneous conversation aboard the ISS, which included the robot giving very general opinions, AFP reported.
"How was it when the rocket launched?" Wakata asked the machine.
"It was exciting!" Kirobo replied.
Advertising firm Dentsu, the University of Tokyo, robot developer Robo Garage and Toyota are the creators of Kirobo and a twin android, Mirata.
