When we think personal care or household items, Panasonic is one brand that comes to mind. But pet robot is another story.
The Japanese electronics manufacturer has revealed their new furry pet robot cat named Nicobo that can fart, make sounds that imitate speech, as well as saying simple Japanese phrases. Using built-in microphones and cameras, Nicobo can even recognize your face and voice as well as turn towards you.
Exactly 20-centimetres wide, the Panasonic Japan YouTube video shows a cute round robot in grey with a yellow tip for its tail. To me, it looks more like a dust ball that has suddenly sprung to life.
The robot is being marketed as a companion pet to the elderly or for anyone who would like low maintenance company.
Panasonic is going to include a subscription with the new Nicobo, which allows owners to store their facial data and conversations with the robot in the cloud. Hopefully that’s an optional extra as not many people would want to pay every month for such a feature.
Cost and release date has not been confirmed but it could go up to $287.
While companion pets are a good idea, it would have been good to see more features in Nicobo.
Who knows, maybe Panasonic would launch more of their pet robot versions if this one is a success.
