By Nermeen Nabil Khear 
A team of robotics researchers at Apple have designed and prototyped a lamp-like robot with lifelike movements, according to a blog post and accompanying video published last month on the Apple Machine Learning Research website. The lamp, which reminds us of the cute Pixar mascot Luxo Jr., may hint at Apple’s future plans.
The video shows the robot interacting with a person in a lifelike manner. For example, the person asks the robot what the weather is like that day, and the robot looks out the window before responding with the forecast. The person says they will probably go for a hike that day, but the robot looks sad when it finds out it is not invited.
In a different scenario, the robot responds to the person’s hand gestures by moving to provide desired lighting for iPhone photography.
In another, the robot pushes a mug on a desk towards the person to remind them to drink water.
Later in the video, the robot observes the person building a 3D printer and projects a relevant tutorial video on the wall.
And finally, the robot plays music and dances along to it as a social companion.
The team of researchers includes Yuhan Hu, Peide Huang, Mouli Sivapurapu, and Jian Zhang. They found that these lifelike, expression-driven movements “significantly enhance user engagement” with the robot over traditional “function-driven” movements.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman last year reported that Apple was developing a tabletop robot with an “iPad-like display” attached to a “robotic limb,” so Apple’s research in this area could hint at the future device’s functionality. Barring any setbacks, he said Apple was aiming to announce the device as early as 2026 or 2027.
The tabletop robot would be primarily controlled with Siri and Apple Intelligence, according to Gurman. He said the device could respond to commands such as “look at me,” which would position the screen on the user’s face during a FaceTime video call. The device would also understand different voices, he said.
The tabletop robot could become a higher-end version of Apple’s rumored smart home hub, which is expected to launch this year. Apple is aiming for a price of around $1,000, according to Gurman, but the plans could change.
This article, “Apple Prototypes Tabletop Robot With Lifelike Movements Ahead of Rumored Launch by 2027” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
All rights reserved to : USAGOLDMIES . www.usagoldmines.com
You can Enjoy surfing our website categories and read more content in many fields you may like .
Why USAGoldMines ?
USAGoldMines is a comprehensive website offering the latest in financial, crypto, and technical news. With specialized sections for each category, it provides readers with up-to-date market insights, investment trends, and technological advancements, making it a valuable resource for investors and enthusiasts in the fast-paced financial world.