It's always nice to have a little help around the house. But what if you could employ the assistance of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century?
That's the idea behind a new robot modeled after Albert Einstein. Called Professor Einstein and standing at just over a foot tall, this personal assistant can tell you the weather and keep track of your schedule like any other robots. With built-in Wi-Fi, Einstein robot has access to brain ceasing games, and can answer math problems and science questions. With natural language speech processing, you can actually interact with Professor Einstein. And because the robot is connected to the Internet, it is constantly updated with new information.
To help get the perfect replica (复制品) of Einstein, the Hong Kong-based tech company Hanson Robotics turned to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the home of the Albert Einstein archives (档案). "We worked very closely with them to bring the product co marker," the company's Dr. Jeanne Lim said.
Einstein robot was introduced to the public at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and was quickly hailed by those who saw it. "He became one of the breakout stars of the convention," wrote Melia Robinson on Business Insider. "Crowds flooded into the company to have a look at the little guy."
"Technology is often now very cold and socially isolating (孤立的) ," explained David Hanson, the co-founder of the company behind the new robot, "By bringing an lively character into our physical world, we're humanizing (使人性化) the technology instead of dehumanizing the humans."
As for Hanson Robotics, the company has been building human-size robots for over a decade. But this marks the company's first commercially available product. "Professor Einstein is just the start," said Hanson. "We're witnessing the arrival of conversational robots that can walk in our world. It's a golden age of invention."