RssInstagramTumblrPinterestYouTubeGoogle+TwitterFacebook
SERIOUS WONDER
SERIOUS WONDER
THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY
  • FUTURISTIC NOW
  • TECH
    • NEUROTECH
    • SCIENCE
    • SPACE
  • FUTURE TRENDS
    • FUTURISTIC DESIGN
    • THE FUTURE THIS WEEK
  • ROBOTS
  • TECHNO-PHILOSOPHY
    • TRANSHUMANISM
    • LONGEVITY
    • INFINITE ENIGMA
  • Sci-fi
    • FUTURE-ART
MENU CLOSE back  

Jibo: Your Family's First Robotic Companion

By B.J. Murphy

Mrs. Weston glanced at her husband for help, but he merely shuffled his feet morosely and did not withdraw his ardent stare from the heavens, so she bent to the task of consolation, “Why do you cry, Gloria? Robbie was only a machine, just a nasty old machine. He wasn’t alive at all.”

“He was not no machine!” screamed Gloria, fiercely and ungrammatically. “He was a person just like you and me and he was my friend. I want him back. Oh, Mamma, I want him back.” – Isaac Asimov, I, Robot, “Robbie”

Robotic Companionship

As a child I remember waking up every morning before school and sitting down in front of the TV to watch my favorite shows. Those shows consisted of several different titles – Scooby Doo, Pokemon, Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Magic School Bus, etc. One show in particular, however, caught my eyes the most: The Jetsons! The futuristic scenarios that were involved throughout the series were practically eye candy for my youthful mind, making me wonder, “When will I get my own Rosie? Or my own R.U.D.I.?”

Both Rosie and R.U.D.I. were practically part of the family, becoming faithful companions to the quirky, but loving Jetsons. They weren’t merely “nasty old machines,” as Mrs. Weston exclaims in Asimov’s robot tales, but equally respected loved ones. Thanks to Prof. Cynthia Breazeal, a roboticist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she has now successfully designed the first ever family-friendly robotic companion for everyone to love and enjoy – Jibo!


Jibo with Cynthia

“Jibo fits in like family. Jibo is part of the family. Jibo’s warm. Jibo’s friendly. Jibo knows me and responds to me. So people will really resonate with the fact that it’s a family robot.” – Cynthia Breazeal, MIT

For just $499, you can pre-order your own Jibo today.
Jibo gif
Jibo is, first and foremost, a social robot. Like that of the iOS Siri, Jibo will keep you constantly updated on your day-to-day activities, alert you when someone’s contacting you, and provide friendly spoken factoids when asked questions. The difference between Jibo and Siri, however, is that Jibo is able to move around (somewhat), is able to locate you and differentiate you from others through its impressive tracking software, and can interact with you like you normally would with a human being.

Its tracking system is made up of two high-res cameras, allowing it to track you in real-time, and even provide unique methods of photo capturing and video calling when asked. Jibo is able to understand you through its natural language processing, which is complimented by 360 degree microphones. Most importantly, however, is that its artificial intelligence is adaptable, meaning what it learns via its daily interactions with you and the family, Jibo won’t forget.

If none of Jibo’s specs impress you enough to believe it to be the real thing, perhaps its overwhelming success in crowdfunding will. Jibo was recently launched into a crowdfunding campaign using Indiegogo. Merely 4 hours in, they reached their $100,000 funding goal. With 25 days left in the campaign, and with over 2,000 supporters thus far, they’ve already achieved over $960,000 in funding as of writing this!

FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

Like Rosie and R.U.D.I. from The Jetsons, Jibo will make quite a social impact on the family dynamic. As our relationship builds and becomes stronger over time with our robotic companions, we may even soon witness a movement of people – of families – demanding legal protections of said companions. Jibo is merely the beginning, however, and soon enough they’ll be walking side by side with us, living as we live.

“We are already disposed towards forming unidirectional emotional relationships with the robotic companions available to us today, and we can only imagine what the technological developments of the next decade will be able to effect.” – Kate Darling, PhD., MIT Robot Ethicist

Photo Credit: Jibo

July 22, 2014By B.J. Murphy

About the author

B.J. Murphy is the Editor and Social Media Manager of Serious Wonder. He is a futurist, philosopher, activist, author and poet. B.J. is an Affiliate Scholar for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) and an Ambassador for the robotics company Humai.

The Internet’s Own BoyIs Technology Alive?

You may also like

The Next Time You See a Worm, Don’t Step On It…It Might Just Be a Robot
June 7, 2017
Why Replace Your Organic Limbs When You Can Have Extra Robotic Limbs Instead?
June 1, 2017
Robot Lands (Simulated) Boeing 737 with One Hand
May 28, 2017
China Wants in on the Giant Fighting Robot Action
May 5, 2017
Holy Shit, the Fluidity in this Avatar Animatronic is Amazing!
April 30, 2017
Giant Robot Duel is a Go, Fight Begins August
April 5, 2017
Subscribe to our Newsletter

LATEST ARTICLES

The Second Amendment and Future of 3D Printing

Second Amendment 2

“Third Thumb” Augmentation Changes the Way we Think of Prosthetics

third thumb dani clode

Smart Drones Find their Way without Human Aid or GPS

drones

AIM: The Future of Healthcare is Driverless, Augmented, and Intelligent

aim 2

Ectogenesis: Crib Designed to Grow Babies Outside the Womb

ectogenesis

Watch Japanese Sumo Robots Break the Internet (and Each Other)

sumo robots

The Future of Retail Will Be Self-Driving

self-driving retail

Memori: Immortalizing Your Thoughts and Memories

memori

Just One CityTree Has the Environmental Benefits of a Forest

citytree

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Real Estate

future of real estate

AI Learns How to Create Human Faces From Scratch

ai face 1

The Next Time You See a Worm, Don’t Step On It…It Might Just Be a Robot

robo worm

Why Replace Your Organic Limbs When You Can Have Extra Robotic Limbs Instead?

extra robotic limbs

SpaceX Rival Successfully Launches 3D-Printed Rocket Into Near-Space

3D-printed rocket

Robot Lands (Simulated) Boeing 737 with One Hand

robot landing

Israeli AI Company Cortica Aims to Give Machines Human-Vision

cortica

Google’s AlphaGo AI Defeats Ke Jie in First of Three Rounds of Go

alphago ai

Jacque Fresco (1916-2017): A Superman for the Future of Humanity

jacque fresco 2

Search and Rescue Drone Software That’ll Save Lives

dronesar software 2

The World’s First Drone Jump is Intense

world's first drone jump

You’ll Never Take Notes in Class the Same Way Again

titan notes

China Wants in on the Giant Fighting Robot Action

china fighting robot

Holy Shit, the Fluidity in this Avatar Animatronic is Amazing!

animatronic avatar

Video of Elon Musk’s Boring Company Presents Future of Transportation

boring

ACCESS: An Emergency River-Crossing Platform

access
TAGS
3D Printing A.I. advanced technology Architecture Artificial Intelligence augmented reality automation Brain Consciousness darpa Design Drones Elon-Musk future future tech Future Technology FUTURE TRENDS futurism Futuristic futuristic architecture Futuristic Design Futuristic technologies futuristic technology google Gray Scott Longevity Mars NASA philosophy Robot Robotics robots Sci-fi Science Science Fiction Space space colonization Space exploration Star Trek Techno-Philosophy Technology the future this week Transhuman Transhumanism Virtual Reality


Advertise Here

  • Home
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Store
  • Podcast
  • Video
  • Contact
  • FUTURISTIC NOW
  • FAQ
  • PRIVACY
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • TERMS OF USE
  • Login
  • FUTURISTIC NOW
Contact

231 10th Ave #5A
NEW YORK , NEW YORK 10011
1.646.233.3535
contact@seriouswonder.com

Advertise With Us

Visit our ADVERTISING PAGE to learn how you can become part of our growing community.

SERIOUS WONDER
© 2015 | www.seriouswonder.com
  • Home
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Store
  • Podcast
  • Video
  • Contact
  • FUTURISTIC NOW
Footer Navigation Col 1
×

SERIOUS WONDER NEWSLETTER 

Enter your name and email below to receive our weekly newsletter.