Nov 12 2015
Groundbreaking humanoid robotics startup UBTECH Robotics today announced the launch of its new Alpha 2 humanoid robot, the first ever designed for practical household service and companionship.
With Smartphone's ubiquitous and intelligent, interactive apps and features becoming an integral part of our lives, the need for increasingly human-like, responsive technology is growing. But applying intelligence from the Smartphone world to the world of humanoid robots has been a challenge, with previous robotic solutions neither user-friendly nor flexible enough for household use.
UBTECH Robotics' technology changes that. The Alpha 2 extends the reliable and intelligent technology we depend on every day to a programmable humanoid device with a smart brain and nimble body. The company's unique servo technology enables an unprecedented level of flexibility and efficient movement. The Alpha 2's 20 servo motors bend the robot's joints and provide exceptional dexterity.
The first humanoid robot designed for the family is the brainchild of UBTECH CEO James Chow, who has devoted his career to breaking down barriers to fluid, friendly robotic functionality.
"We are looking forward to launching the Alpha 2 and fulfilling our dream of enabling every family to have its own intelligent robot," says Chow. "We hope our crowdfunding effort will drive both excitement and support for this new technology."
Extending the UBTECH family of commercial, DIY and household robot products, the Alpha 2 is designed as a functional, interactive family robot capable of accomplishing a wide range of typical household tasks, such as:
- Managing weekly calendars and provide verbal reminders for scheduled tasks
- Free talk and following verbal instructions
- Taking high quality photographs and posting to social media
- Performing home security monitoring and alerts
- Entertaining children, guests and even pets
- Reporting the weather, searching the web, downloading applications
The Alpha 2 provides cloud services and leverages intelligent voice & perceptual systems to receive commands and execute corresponding behaviors. The robot is capable of simultaneous interpretation, voice search, visual interaction and providing verbal reminders.
The robot also enables sensor-based interaction; insert with acceleration sensor, ultrasonic, touch and pressure sensors; and a built-in camera backed by robot visual computing systems. The robot's accompanying both iOS and Android systems that provide everyday remote communication and control.
By designing the Alpha 2 with an open application platform and support for VAPP application development, the company hopes to encourage ongoing innovation by the developer community. Involvement by programmers and enthusiasts will help the Alpha 2 rapidly reach its full potential and meet a growing array of needs.
To encourage feedback and interest in the Alpha 2 from both consumers and developers, UBTECH is unveiling the robot through the crowdsource platform Indiegogo at less than $500 for early birds, a fraction of its retail price point. The Indiegogo campaign will launch on November 11. To visit please go to http://igg.me/at/alpha2
"Part of our goal with this public crowdfund is to attract a community of developers who will take Alpha 2's capabilities to the next level," adds Chow. "Offering development kits and DIY products are an important part of our technology vision, because we want to fuel the robotics revolution and technical innovation both inside and outside our walls."
Source: http://www.ubtrobot.com/en/