Coming to JB Hi-Fi stores.
Consumer robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) company, Anki, has developed the first home robot with personality – Vector – which is fully autonomous, connected to the cloud and always on. A smart device running the companion app (available on iOS and Android) is required for initial setup.
Launching on October 13 for an RRP of $449.99, Vector will be available for purchase through Australian Geographic, Amazon and JB Hi-Fi. Vector is now available for presale for $399.99 at JB Hi-Fi.
Anki CEO and co-founder, Boris Sofman said, “For over five years, Anki has brought together a team of experts across various fields to create the world’s first affordable, character-rich robot capable of surprising and delighting humans.
“Vector is the culmination of everything we have learned in this journey so far, and a bold next step in our vision for entertaining and purposeful robots in every home, everywhere.
“Today marks the starting point in an overall expansion for our robotics platform and how we combine the latest technologies in robotics and artificial intelligence with our novel approach to character and interface.
“For the first time, consumers will be living with a robot that is able to bring both a warm and joyful experience, and a new and characterful form of utility, into the home. This builds a bridge not just to a new category of home robots, but our own future product lines that will continue to expand on the level of capabilities that are possible.”
Built to fit naturally into consumers’ daily life, Vector is highly intelligent and aware of his surroundings through touch, sight and sound. He is smart out of the box but will only become smarter over time with over-the-air (OTA) updates.
He features a high-resolution colour IPS display that shows how he reacts to his environment and his capacitive touch sensor allows him to respond to human touch. With the Ask Vector feature, he will provide answers to factual questions about real world people, places and things.
Vector is built on a Qualcomm Technologies platform that provides the connectivity, computing, camera and on-device AI capabilities that Vector needs to be smart, approachable and autonomous. He is outfitted with a HD camera with 120 degree ultra-wide field of view that allows him to see the world, recognise people and learn the names of people he sees
An array of microphones allows him to hear and detect commands after users say ‘hey Vector’. Security features strengthen robot security and minimise data collection for privacy. Voice and audio will not be stored in the cloud.