Kirobo: Robotic Driving Companion by Toyota

If there’s one thing I love about Japan, it’s the robotics. Not anime or manga or Pokemon, but robotics. Toyota’s latest creation is testament to this. Kirobo Mini is only 10-cm tall, but this little critter is set to be your new best friend when driving.

Watch Kirobo Mini: Say hello to Toyota’s little robot via verified YouTube channel

Kirobo Mini is a part of the Toyota Heart Project, wherein the company aims to make human-machine interaction a norm of society. Kirobo Mini is designed after Japan’s first robotic astronaut (also named Kirobo), who returned to earth in 2015 after an 18-month long mission to the International Space Station. The original Kirobo provided companionship to astronaut Koichi Wakata, and this bite-sized version is going to do the same for the people stuck on Earth.

What Does Kirobo Do?

Kirobo is designed primarily as a driving companion, but Toyota seems to have bigger things in mind. For instance, this piece of machinery is meant to appear almost sentient, able to learn from basic conversations and respond appropriately. It can remember places it has been to, and it can tell when its owner is happy or sad… almost a little creepy, but still very innovative.

Kirobo is capable of recording its environment with a built-in camera. Toyota has specified that it can connect to smartphones via bluetooth, meaning its accompanying software probably plays a big role in what it can and can’t do. Beyond that, it doesn’t do much other than sit and look adorable. Then again, it’s meant to be something you talk to on long and tedious drives. What else do you need it to do?

Oh yeah… and Toyota hasn’t released an official statement, but it seems Kirobo is meant to compete with Sharp’s RoboHon smartphone.

Kirobo Pricing And Availability

Kirobo is set to be released at select Toyota outlets in Japan before this year is over. It is scheduled for nationwide (Japan) release in 2017, with international availability scheduled before 2017 ends.

Currently, the price tag for Kirobo is about 40,000 yen (18,650 PhP) with a 300 yen (139 PhP) monthly fee for use of its dedicated software.

Check out what Toyota has to say about Kirobo here.