Chinese car manufacturer Chery has announced their new humanoid robot that they say will “end loneliness” for the elderly.
The toddler-sized robot, called MoBo, is intended to be used as a personal assistant and companion.
“It looks like a companion you could hug at anytime,” said Yvette Gao, the product director of Chery’s robotics division AiMOGA. “It ends loneliness.”
Using AI technology, MoBo is designed to learn the habits and personal preferences of the owner and tailor its behaviour to their specific needs.
MORE: Volkswagen’s desperate China ploy
During a demonstration, it was shown reminding elderly people what medication to take, and lulling them to sleep by reciting stories from the owner’s past.
“It does nothing dramatic,” said Gao.
“Just small, warm, everyday things. Someone remembering. Someone caring.”
It was also shown to act as an educator and companion for children, helping them learn new languages and even teaching them to dance.
“It plays. Laughs together. Waking the child every morning, telling bedtime stories every night. Learning how people connect. Learning to share, how to say sorry,” said Gao
“Every child deserves someone who is always on their side. Just someone who is there consistently, patiently, without conditions.”
MORE: How Elon Musk burned his haters
While that might sound like the job of a parent, Gao says that MoBo is not here to replace humans or their relationships.
However, she did emphasise the robot’s ability to act as a companion for the lonely and vulnerable.
“When you are tired, it keeps the child company. When you cannot go back, it listens to the stories your parents have told a hundred times.”
“Loneliness is not just being alone. It is having no one to tell your day to. It is the feeling that no one is thinking of you. MoBo changes that.”
MoBo was presented for the first time at the Chery Summit currently being held in Wuhu, China. The personal assistant robot is being released Globally, although Australia-specific plans were not announced.
MORE: EV brand sheds its vegan image
According to Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile, Zhang Guinbing, they plan to expand robot production. The next phase will include robots capable of manufacturing work, and then moving to more complex home assistants.
Eventually, Chery’s executives believe their personal home robots will be able to cook, clean, and even shop for their owners.
Guinbing predicted Chery’s robotics division will rapidly grow, and may eventually outstrip Chery’s automotive sectors. But in order to reach those commercial levels, Guinbing said consumers must first become accustomed to robots in the family home.
MoBo, which AiMOGA said will be affordably priced, is part of that plan.
“MoBo stands 90 centimetres tall. That height is not random. It is roughly the height of a three-year-old and the perfect height to embrace while seated,” said Gao.
“Every centimetre, every kilogram, was chosen with one question in mind: what makes a robot feel like family?”
Read related topics:China