Those who have always wanted an artificial intelligence robot for a personal assistant have New York-based startup Robotbase to thank for that dream becoming a reality.
The machine, called the Personal Robot, made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where its creators said it can track your calories after meals, call taxis when you leave work and take photos of you while you're posing, according to the International Business Times.
These tasks are achieved by working with Nest's smart thermostat and other connected devices, as well as apps from Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.
Duy Huynh, CEO of Robotbase, said the AI robot can understand what people say and also see things around it like a human can, the International Business Times reported.
"It recognizes faces, it recognizes objects around the house in order to navigate by itself," Huynh said.
Robotbase refers to the Personal Robot as a "revolutionary product that changes everything," adding that it is the first company to combine deep learning and robotics.
Sensors are included so the robot can monitor its environment and perform tasks like checking in guests at hotels and telling children stories before they go to bed, the International Business Times reported. WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity is also available, and the machine uses a single algorithm for computer vision and facial, emotion and pattern recognition.
"Not just a robot, it's artificial intelligence," Huynh said. "Not just recognizing your face, it knows your mood. Not just understanding what you say, it knows what you really mean. It learns and gets smarter every day."
The CEO added that Robotbase has started a Kickstarter campaign for the Personal Robot, which backers can get by pledging at least $995. The campaign has raised over $20,000 so far, and backers will receive their robots by December 2015.
