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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has joined Japan’s humanoid robot craze. Today at Tokyo Motor Show, the firm showed off Kirobo Mini, an “emotional” robot that sits in your car’s cup holder and acts as a driving companion. “Armenpress” reports about this, citing techinasia.com
The tiny robot weighs 200 grams and is 10 centimeters tall when sitting. It comes with an adorable case, complete with internal seat belt that acts as a charging dock. The case plugs into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter and has a built-in battery that allows you to take Kirobo Mini on the go.
Aesthetically, it looks almost identical to the full-sized Kirobo – the first robot to hold a conversation in space. Like its big brother, Kirobo Mini’s design comes courtesy of renowned Japanese roboticist Tomotaka Takahashi.
“Takahashi designed the body, but was not involved at all in the development of its functionality,” Fuminori Kataoka, the project manager behind the robot, tells Tech in Asia.
Takahashi was also involved in the development of Sharp’s robotic smartphone, Robohon – and the two look almost identical – but Kataoka explains that Sharp has no involvement whatsoever in Mini Kirobo.