Jibo Is as Good as Social Robots Get. But Is That Good Enough?

After years of making emotionally engaging machines with her students at the MIT Media Lab’s Personal Robots Group, Cynthia Breazeal thinks the time has finally come for a personal robot to inhabit our homes and help us live our lives.

To pursue that goal, she founded Jibo, a Boston startup that has raised US $38.6 million to produce a friendly robo-assistant to families. Equipped with cameras and microphones, the robot, also called Jibo, is a little taller than a toaster and shaped like a desk fan. It can recognize faces, understand what people say, and respond in an amiable voice.

Jibo’s purpose is to help busy family members coordinate with one another and communicate with the outside world. In the morning, for example, the robot can remind parents and kids of important events and tasks for the day. You can tell Jibo what you need to accomplish today, and it will update your schedule or to-do list for you while you’re making breakfast. Jibo will also snap photos at parties, read interactive stories to kids, and help grandparents make video calls.

First deliveries are scheduled for March and April, and the latest batch of Jibos offered for sale, at a prerelease price of $750, have been sold out since last August.

Read more at IEEE Spectrum

Image Credit: Jibo

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