The robot was built by UK-based startup BotsAndUs

Apr 19, 2018 14:27 GMT  ·  By

The world of robots is upon us, and it looks like a UK-based startup called BotsAndUs designed and built a social robot with AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities which might be useful in hospitality and retail scenarios.

Meet Bo, a social robot with AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities, powered by Canonical's Ubuntu Linux operating system and optimized to welcome customers, as well as to help them navigate to find products and areas in your organization.

Bo was already used by several well-known brands like Etisalat and BT in a bunch of scenarios, including hospitality and retail scenarios, and it's being tested in large shopping centers in the United Kingdom, such as Lakeside.

The robot is designed from the offset to offer 24/7 seamless interaction, as well as dynamic and real-time insights by taking over basic tasks for your employees, including optimizations of logistics and displays, and tracking of inventory, merchandising, and occupancy.

Powered by Ubuntu Linux

Bo comes with many qualities and capabilities, thanks to its modern RealSense Depth camera system, which is used along with the AI capabilities for advanced face to face interaction, and the ROS (Robot Operating System) robotics middleware, but, inside, the social robot is powered by the popular Ubuntu Linux operating system.

"Ubuntu’s versatility is superb. It gives us so much freedom when it comes to choosing hardware and software, and integrating the new technology with Bo is quick and easy," explained Adrian Negoita, CTO, BotsAndUs.

BotsAndUs managed to integrate Ubuntu with Bo's hardware, so that it can easily maintain it through Canonical's Snappy technologies. If you're curious to find out more about Bo, you can check out the official website and the image gallery below to see Bo in action, and download the case study to learn how Ubuntu eased Bo's production path for BotsAndUs.

Bo the social robot powered by Ubuntu
Bo the social robot powered by Ubuntu
Bo's components
Bo's components

Photo Gallery (3 Images)

Bo the social robot powered by Ubuntu
Bo the social robot powered by UbuntuBo's components
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