We are all aware of the speed with which technological advancements are taking over our lives. Auto Bots are today a common thing, and giants like Amazon and Google are making full use of the technology.
But when it comes to a common man, we still haven’t got robotic functions in our day to day lives.
“Innovation is driving entrepreneurs to see the potential in social robots, which are not just artificially intelligent, but emotionally sharp as well, ” says Sneh Vaswani, CEO, and co-founder of India’s first companion robot Miko.
What is Miko?
Miko is an intelligent robot that is capable of entertaining and educating a child, which is conveyed in a conversational manner, thus making it an emotional robot of its kind. It’s designed for children aged 5 and above. Miko is your child’s new companion — a brain with loads of heart. You will be amazed at how much Miko can do — be it chatting away about the facts of the world or adapting and responding to your child’s needs. Miko has a wide pool of knowledge and an even wider pool of fun.
Also Read: Robots Might Be Painting Your House Walls Sooner Than You Think
Co-founded by Vaswani along with two of his friends and batchmates from college – Prashant Iyengar and Chintan Raikar this startup Emotix’s pioneer product had been in development for nearly three years before it hit the Indian market in February this year.
“We conducted 22 pilots and went back multiple times to the drawing board in pursuit of the perfect product,” says Vaswani. “Before arriving at the final design, we did extensive research to identify the unmet needs of parents and children, which reflects in all the features that you see today,” he adds.
Features
“An important feature is that it learns more and more about the child’s likes, dislikes, and preferences as they converse on various topics,” says Vaswani. “Miko has been programmed with an adaptive personality, which means that it leverages its knowledge around the child to guide interactions with him/her. The more they talk, the sooner it will be able to adapt and cater to specific needs,” he adds.
“Miko is designed to move on flat surfaces against the support of its three wheels,” says Vaswani. “If it bumps into objects or is placed on an uneven surface, it can correct its course or warn the user that it needs to be on a flat surface,” he adds.
For most of the simple tasks, Miko doesn’t even require internet. Only when the conversation or questions are about a specific topic, it needs internet access. Connected through a mobile app, parents can have total control over Miko’s conversations and choice of topics.
“We are not discounting the role a parent, friend or anyone else will have in the child’s life,” says Vaswani. “Developed with the inputs of senior childcare doctors and academicians, it at best offers a strong value addition to everyday interactions,” he adds.
For the co-founders, Miko is basically a better substitute for the technological mediums a child has at his or her disposal today.
Also Read: BSE Launches ‘Ask Motabhai’ Chatbot, A New Step Towards Digital Marketing
Physical Features
Dimensions : 15 cm x 15 cm x 18 cm
Weight: 800 gms
Top Speed : 0.5 m/s
Colour: Playful Purple: Mystic Maroon: Space Black
Splash Resistant
Sound
Price
Miko comes at a price of whopping 19000INR, but the promoters of the product have been overwhelmed by the response it has got so far. Also as per them, the response is not just from the urban sectors of the country but also from tier 2 towns.
Would you buy Miko for your child?
