In case you missed it, the robots are here.
No, not the apocalyptic hordes of artificially intelligent machines that some believe are destined to enslave or eradicate us (hello, Boston Dynamics!), but the everyday devices and companions that are rapidly becoming commonplace. After decades of lofty sci-fi-inspired promises, robots like iRobot's Roomba vacuums and the many iterations of the Sony Aibo robodog are slowly carving out their places in our domestic lives. Even Amazon's Alexa is arguably a disembodied robot.
SEE ALSO:This tiny robotic spider might one day perform surgeries inside your bodyA new entry into the field is Anki's Vector. Vector is a small tabletop robot with big features. First and foremost, unlike other "robots" like those from Sphero or even WowWee, Vector doesn't need a smartphone to control it. It's fully autonomous and loaded with sensors, enabling it to interact with and learn from its environment from the get-go.
Vector is another milestone for Anki, a company that's had one of the most interesting stories in tech. Unknown to the world before its splash launch at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2013, the robotics company has come out with several products, including intelligent toy race cars and a previous, more limited robot, Cozmo.
Where does the robustly funded company go next? And when will it move its robotics business into something more capable (i.e. not a toy). Anki CEO Boris Sofman dropped by Mashable's MashTalk podcast this week to give us the full story of his young company, why it's so focused on the "personality" of its robots, and what he sees in the future for domestic robots and AI.
You can subscribe to MashTalk on iTunesor Google Play, and we'd appreciate it if you could leave a review. Feel free to hit us with questions and comments by tweeting to @mashtalkor attaching the #MashTalk hashtag. We welcome all feedback.
TopicsArtificial Intelligence
(责任编辑：百科)
New Zealand designer's photo series celebrates the elegance of aging'Smog refugees' struggle to escape 'Airpocolypse' in BeijingVeteran soldier becomes the face of demonetization woes in IndiaHow your uncle's conspiracy theories trigger your brain's anxiety areasWatch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestreamTributes flow after death of former Singapore president S.R. Nathan
The Singaporean government has announced that former president, 92-year-old Sellapan Ramanathan (wid
...[详细]Millions of cows to be tagged with unique 12
After its people, India now wants its cows and buffaloes to have a unique numerical identity. 。The go
...[详细]The company that wanted to put 'a bullet through Google's head' is dead
It turns out lying about userbase, millions of dollars, and ambitious claims aren’t enough for
...[详细]Augmented reality app from IBM and NY Times tries to make history fun
Using virtual reality to immerse people in history has become increasingly common in recent months,
...[详细]You can now play 'Solitaire' and 'Tic
Google just added two new fun Easter eggs to its search results. 。You can now play 。 Solitaire。and 。 Ti
...[详细]You can finally play 'Pokémon Go' on an Apple Watch
Pokémon Gofans get one more surprise as the holidays descend: Apple Watch support.The Pok&eac
...[详细]You can finally play 'Pokémon Go' on an Apple Watch
Pokémon Gofans get one more surprise as the holidays descend: Apple Watch support.The Pok&eac
...[详细]Exclusive: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are a magnificent match in 'Fences' clip
Already in early Oscar discussions, Viola Davis and Denzil Washington demonstrate their chemistry an
...[详细]You can now play 'Solitaire' and 'Tic
Google just added two new fun Easter eggs to its search results. 。You can now play 。 Solitaire 。and 。 Ti
...[详细]Mr. No Fun Paul Ryan shuts down kid who tries to dab
If you're going to dab around Paul Ryan, you best not let him catch you. 。C-SPAN digital and social m
...[详细]One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close
Alphabet's Waymo unveils its autonomous Chrysler minivan
