Skanky Vamp
Sniffin' the Slayer
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Many of us could use more companionship in these times of social distancing and staying at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While you might not be able to have a dog or cat in your residence, perhaps a companion robot will do the trick. If you're looking for one with more personality, Panasonic has made another robot that might hold the answer.
With the help of the Toyohashi University of Technology Michio Oka Laboratory, Panasonic created the cute Nicobo. It looks a bit like a cat that got itself stuck in a sock. Nicobo has many of the features you'd expect from such a device. As Gizmodo notes, it can recognize faces using a camera, and listen and respond to your voice via its directional microphones. Nicobo has touch sensors, so it's aware when you're touching or hugging it.
The robot also has some more questionable attributes. Nicobo is prone to bouts of flatulence and has bad moods, so there are days when it might not respond to you very much (or it might fart in your general direction). It'll sometimes start talking without you addressing it first. Don't expect it to follow you around the room either. Nicobo is immobile and its only movement abilities are rotating and looking up and down.
The company is selling Nicobo for approximately $360. After the first six months, those who were fortunate enough to lock in a pre-order will need to pay around $10/month for features like smartphone pairing and updates.
With the help of the Toyohashi University of Technology Michio Oka Laboratory, Panasonic created the cute Nicobo. It looks a bit like a cat that got itself stuck in a sock. Nicobo has many of the features you'd expect from such a device. As Gizmodo notes, it can recognize faces using a camera, and listen and respond to your voice via its directional microphones. Nicobo has touch sensors, so it's aware when you're touching or hugging it.
The robot also has some more questionable attributes. Nicobo is prone to bouts of flatulence and has bad moods, so there are days when it might not respond to you very much (or it might fart in your general direction). It'll sometimes start talking without you addressing it first. Don't expect it to follow you around the room either. Nicobo is immobile and its only movement abilities are rotating and looking up and down.
The company is selling Nicobo for approximately $360. After the first six months, those who were fortunate enough to lock in a pre-order will need to pay around $10/month for features like smartphone pairing and updates.
