While Suri and Alexa can talk back to you, play music, and search the web for any question you ask, there’s a cooler piece of technology coming to town. Mayfield Robotics is releasing your own personal robot by the name of Kuri.
Just like Siri and Alexa, Kuri can play and stream music and podcasts, and even take pictures or record video. Kuri is its own little person (well, robot). He is 20" tall, 12" wide, and weighs about 14 pounds. Kuri can maneuver around your house, and he is equipped with technology that allows him to learn your floorplan and any obstacles that he may face. He’s a pretty cool little dude.
Kuri is able to do much more than go around your house and play music. There’s an app for Kuri that you can download onto your smartphone to control what he does. While you are in full control of Kuri, he is smart enough to perform some tasks by himself, like going to his charger to “take a nap” and recharge his battery. But don’t worry, even though Kuri is a smart little robot he (or she, if you prefer), isn’t dangerous or planning to take over the world like all the movies and cartoons predict. All of your photos and videos that Kuri takes are totally private and you can control what and when he records.
As far as the technical stuff goes, Kuri is recommended for use inside the home. He works best when connected to Wi-Fi. He is also Bluetooth compatible, so streaming music or podcasts from your phone is a breeze. While Kuri is able to work without Wi-Fi (if your power would go out, for example), but she’ll just be a little slower in completing more complex tasks.
So what Kuri work the way she works? While I’m not good with technical terms, I can tell you some more cool features. Kuri has sensors that let him respond to your touch. There’s a camera behind one of his eyes – little creepy, but so cool! He can keep an ‘eye’ on the house while you’re not at home. Other mechanics in Kuri let her move her head around, and she can also blink and smile with her eyes. Her microphones allow her to respond to your voice, as well as help her navigate around the house. She’s like her own little person!
There’s no doubt that Kuri will become a huge part of your life, and she’ll become a part of the family in no time at all. However, Kuri’s companionship will come at a cost. The little robot will cost you $799 total. However, that payment is divided up. To preorder Kuri, you need to put down a $100 deposit, then the other remaining $699 will be due upon delivery (that’s not including shipping or other taxes that might apply). The first wave of production of Kuri has sold out, but the second wave of production will be arriving in spring 2018. For right now, Kuri is only available in the U.S., but with time, may be available to order in other countries.
