NEWS – The loveable, cheeky, teachable (sort of) and attitudinally challenged robot Cozmo now has a brother—a smarter, more engaging and even more teachable sibling. Anki has upped the AI bar with the new small personal robot, Vector. Vector’s name may not be as funny as his older brother’s, but Vector has two years worth of tech evolution to keep things interesting.
Much like Cosmo, Vector is more buddy than robot. He’s your companion. He’ll also make you laugh. Vector is curious, independent, and powered by some preposterous tech and AI.
Anki states, “Vector is the most advanced home robot ever made—at a price that means you can actually bring him home. He begins to fulfill the promise of living with robots in ways we’ve only seen in science-fiction movies. He’s a curious little guy who is aware of his surroundings. He can see, hear, and feel, allowing him to react naturally to the world around him. However, his most remarkable feature is life. Vector feels alive.”
Cozmo needed an iPhone to perform many functions. Vector is independent and only needs wifi to interact. Because of that, Vector can update his own software wirelessly and automatically. He comes with a high-res color display that will show off his personality. Vector can see, hear, feel and think. He will answer questions, give the weather, recognize a face and take photos. Think of Vector like Siri come to life. Simply say, “Hey Vector” followed by “I have a question” and he will answer. He’s knowledgeable over many topics with more being added all the time.
He’ll also play blackjack.
Vector is currently a Kickstarter project, mainly for developers who may want to help shape Vector’s future abilities while getting a $50 discount. Anki has already surpassed their $500,000 goal. You can learn more about Vector here and here. After the Kickstarter campaign, Vector will retail for $249. Vector should ship in October in time for the holidays. Visit Anki for more information.
And now, Alexa!
Vector is now available and Anki is incorporating Amazon’s Alexa! This update (coming in December) will enable Vector owners to access the knowledge and utility of Amazon’s voice service as well as seamlessly tap into thousands of potential existing Alexa “Skills,” such as scheduling reminders; controlling their connected-home; shopping for groceries; and, many more. Click here for a video preview of the integration and see how Alexa comes to life via Vector.
With the Alexa-integration arriving in December, Vector will be part of Amazon’s Deal of the Day on Saturday, 11/17/18 —offered at up to 30% discount for 24 hours.
