14 DAY TRIAL // So-called robots aren't exactly far along as a technology nowadays, especially those that try to actually simulate human movement, but some projects occasionally surface that actually do have a great potential. The Kompott Robotic Agent may just be one of them. As consumers no doubt know, there is a very strong trend, currently, centered around touch input. Touchscreen interfaces have started to show up on virtually any electronics that have a display. The Robotic Agent seeks to let even the elderly generation take advantage of this technology.
Indeed, there are many elderly people that are receptive to advancements in interactivity, especially when it comes to touch-enabled phones or computers. At least as many, however, find it hard to actually use it every day. This is what is often referred to as the generation gap. Fortunately, a group of students from the Zurich University of the Art’s Interaction Design lab in Switzerland have come up with an easy and comprehensive, even enjoyable, way of letting such people access their e-mails and watch videos, among other things, with just a few taps.
The Kompott Robotic Agent has a very straightforward touch interface. Its so-called head, or face in this case, is actually a large touchscreen, whereas the machine itself has all the PC parts needed to receive said e-mails or play multimedia. Users navigate by touching the left or right sides of the panel and need only touch the middle of the face in order to access whatever file they are interested in. The robot can also synthesize speech and perform speech-to-text conversions. Furthermore, a button on the so-called chest brings up a full list of contacts.
Unfortunately, and not entirely surprising, the Kompott Robotic Agent is not slated to enter mass production as of yet, but, at the very least, it set the stage for similar projects to be started.