Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Do not be alarmed if a stool with a lamp on it happens to you this year Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It’s just my friend Mi-Mo.
A model of the AI-powered robot made its debut at the trade show’s Unveiled media event on Sunday night, hitting the floor on six wooden metal legs and greeting passers-by with gentle waves. It’s made by the Japanese robotics company Jizai, which has made it the first “customizable General-Purpose AI robot.” I described it as the love child of a mid-century modern table and one of Sid’s Toy Story‘s mutant toys. (Affectionately!)
Credit: Haley Henschel/Mashable
Jizai CEO and creator Yuki Ishikawa told Mashable that Mi-Mo is made up of several AI models that give it the ability to think, act and adapt on its own using visual, audio and movement cues. Software engineers could modify these models and develop apps to expand their capabilities, he added.
Mashable Light Speed
On the aesthetic front, Ishikawa explained that Mi-Mo is supposed to look like furniture — its wood is real, no IKEA particleboard here — while moving “like a living creature.” Hardware add-ons and attachments like sensors are in the works, according to a media document.
Credit: Haley Henschel/Mashable
Mi-Mo did little more than work the crowd at Unveiled, flopping around and waving her lighted lamp “head,” but Ishikawa hypothesized a futuristic situation where she could get a cup for its owner.
The preorder waiting list for Mi-Mo is now live, but you must sign up in person at CES. (More information will be online soon.) Ishikawa said a tabletop version of Mi-Mo will sell for about $3,500, while the full-size model will go for about $30,000. A small price to pay for your own dystopian Pixar server, perhaps.
