Social Robots - meet Mirokai, Tengai, Paro and SEMMI

A social robot is an autonomous robot that interacts and communicates with humans or other autonomous physical agents by following social behaviors and rules attached to its role.

Let us introduce you to Mirokai the friendly robots that enchanted crowds at this year’s VivaTech in Paris. Designed as "social logistics" robots, the Mirokai  created by French robotics company Enchanted Tools - will first be tested out in hospitals in Paris. They had previously co-created the prominent humanoid robots Nao and Pepper which were used as educational devices and receptionists respectively. The Mirokai however, are being positioned as "social logistic" robots that will start off lending a hand in hospital settings.

"We announced at VivaTech a partnership with a French hospital, and next year we are going to open test floors in four hospitals in Paris and the robots will help nurses by bringing masks, medicine to them or to patients," explained Richard Malterre, the company’s chief communications officer. The robots had many layers of artificial intelligence (AI) built in; they can understand orders, learn where things and people are, and even tell people hospital opening and closing times. "What is marvelous for us is to bring some character robots to the world and showcase another vision of what robotics can be - more than just utility, but magic too," he added. The Mirokai have cartoony yet uncannily alive faces, which are animated on a face-shaped screen, giving them a genuinely friendly appearance that designers of humanoid robots have so far struggled to capture. Enchanted Tools envision them operating in locations other than hospitals. "As it’s a robot for social logistics, we can work in airports, retail, or maybe an expo like this. The fact it’s mounted on a sphere means it’s very agile, and it’s really dedicated to move among people".The company has big plans for the Mirokai. They want to have 100,000 of them amongst us in 10 years' time, with a target price of €30,000 per unit.

There are several use cases for social robots. Whether used for Employee training to simulate social situations such as a mortgage advisor in a bank practicing how to deliver bad news, such as a rejected mortgage application, in a humane and confident manner. Or a sales assistant can learn how to handle unreasonable requests in a calm yet assertive manner. Or to support unbiased recruitment to overcome subjectivity (unconscious) biases of hiring managers or interviewers. As developed by Furhat Robotics and Recruitment company TNG with Tengai, the world’s first unbiased interview robot. Tengai does not judge on the basis of colour of skin, gender, accent, or age – and it’s already being used in Sweden to introduce a more equitable hiring process.

Social robots can also help with medical screening and help with increased awareness and access to early diagnosis of common diseases – diseases that in some cases can go undiagnosed until it’s too late. Furhat Robotics and Merck Group are working on this already with PETRA.  

Autism is probably one of the most exciting and meaningful use cases for social robots which are a  great fit for helping children with autism to learn social skills and emotional intelligence.

The first version included a laser rangefinder and Bandit - a social robot designed to teach social behavior to autistic children. Bandit is a friendly, socially assistive humanoid robot. It's been used to help children with autism, motivate older adults in physical exercise, and provide therapies to stroke patients.

PARO is a robot modeled after a baby harp seal that instead of coming from the iciest place on earth, comes from the Land of the Rising Sun, actually from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology of Japan (AIST). Paro is a therapeutic tool based on the evolution of animal therapy. It offers similar benefits while avoiding the risks associated with this type of therapy. It’s recommended to be used with people with dementia symptoms, elderly people, hospitalized children or people with mental disabilities, where the emotional area is very propitious for improvement.

Travelling can create stress, if we do not speak the local language. With people increasingly travelling for work and pleasure internationally, social robots can be of great assistance supporting employees. This is an area where social robots can be of huge help to existing employees. And it’s already a reality at Frankfurt Airport and Berlin Central Station, where DB Systel and Furhat Robotics are testing FRAnny and SEMMI, two concierge robots that know all about arrivals and departures, gate/platform information, delays, and more in multiple languages.

Another use case for Social Robots is the role of receptionist. Very often companies have replaced receptionists with automated visitor management software such as Envoy,  which may be efficient but contributes to a cold, insular experience. What if through implementing social robots the social connections with visitors and clients can be rekindled? Social Robots are good at chit-chat, welcoming visitors, printing tags, offering beverages, guiding visitors to the right person, etc. Which is why Furhat Robotics is building the Greeter, one of the world’s first examples of autonomous robot receptionists.

Giving the worldwide shortage of teachers, and declining student engagement; what if social robots could be used as an educational tool, which could assist teachers and enhance the entire educational experience for students. The City of Stockholm has already launched a pilot program with Furhat Robotics.

Tico - a robot developed to improve children's motivation in the classroom; developed by Adele Robots to interact with humans in different environments, primarily in education as a helper for teachers.
Initially created by Treelogic in 2007 as a research platform for Human-Robot Interaction, it has participated in several R&D projects such as ACROSS, and was also tested in supermarkets and schools. It became commercially available in 2010.

In conclusion, the potential of social robots to revolutionize human-robot interaction is undoubtedly exciting, and as technology continues to improve and innovate in this field, the possibilities for their integration into our daily lives are endless.