Toyota a highly established auto manufacturer has launched a range of exotic cars filled with luxury and comfort. Besides working on latest advancements in design and engineering and design technologies, Toyota along with Takahashi from the Research center for advanced science and technology at University of Tokyo and Dentsu an advertising firm have developed the first ever humanoid robot.

Robotics is the latest hot topics of research and developments, and robotic experiments are conducted in many universities and artificial intelligence firms. On the thought of humanoid robots, the most common notions will be a robot which takes on human oriented tasks like operating on patients, driving cars etch. The humanoid robot developed by Toyota, Dentsu and University of Tokyo is different and interesting. The activity performed by the humanoid robot is not restricted to land, but has gone extra terrestrial to an area where numerous astronauts have gone. The humanoid robot has been sent to space, one question that will emerge here is if humans themselves are unable to browse through layers with little oxygen, then how a robot can take on this task. According to researchers the humanoid robot could withstand the extreme ‘zero gravity situations on ‘International Space Station.’

The coverage on the first humanoid robot to venture to space was released a few days ago. The robot is called Kirobo, and for more shockingly interesting information, Kirobo, actually spoke to the astronaut Koichi Wakata in the Japanese language. The Kirobo humanoid robot was built to travel to space and converse in Japanese to the astronaut.

Reading about a robot voyaging to space is probably the most interesting topic for many. Astronauts who have gone to space had to float on the zero gravity atmospheres, now imagine how it would be for the Kirobo humanoid robot. When astronaut Wakata, asked Kirobo about its experience in zero gravity atmosphere, the reply was ‘’ I am completely used to it now and there is no problem of surviving in this environment.’’

It is challenging task to not only build a robot, but program it to think and speak like humans. Researchers have programmed Kirobo to sort out questions and also select particular words from vocabulary which is the right answer. This is different from the regular pre programmed language stored in the robot to answer questions.

Tomotaka Takahashi, the brain behind the development of Kirobo, said the robot was programmed in a way to spontaneously answer questions. People had no clue that the robot could swiftly and accurately respond to questions posed by Wakata.

The robot ventured to space in the month of November from the established Tanegashima Space Center via ‘space cargo transporter’. Experiments on robot are still in process and will terminate by the final stage of the year 2014. Kirobo was even asked about what he desires as Christmas present. The reply was interesting and unique, which no one on Earth will ever think of. If anyone can guess, Kirobo wants a ‘toy rocket’ for Christmas. It is indeed fascinating to hear of a robot wanting a toy rocket as Christmas gift. Robotics is an interesting topic which will change our lives for the better. If Kirobo can think big in terms of wanting a toy rocket, imagine the power of artificial intelligence in the years to come.

Tagged: Toyota Cars India, Toyota India, Toyota Kirobo