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Getting more followers is something we usually associate with social media or micro messaging apps. But soon we could all have a new type of follower—a robotic one.
Dozens of robots and technology fans gathered in Boston, US, earlier this month for the Robot Business conference. The latest developments in the world of robotics were shown to the public, and this time the trend was robots following people.
Perhaps the most exciting development on show was the ability of drones (无人机) to follow you from the air, acting as your own personal cameraman or photographer. One example is 3-D Robotics' Iris+ drone, developed by a US-based company.
The drone is fitted with cameras and has a “follow me” function. It connects with your GPS-enabled Android device, like a mobile phone. Then it flies and follows you around, shooting action film of you from above. The software in the drone makes sure that you're always in the center of the frame.
It can keep working for 15 minutes, as long as there aren't too many trees for it to crash into. This could be exciting for anyone who loves action sports or wants to be the star of their own short film.
But what if you want to be one of those celebrities (名人) who have helpers carrying all their bags and doing all their chores? A robot called Budgee can help.
Budgee, made by 5 Elements Robotics, is literally a basket on wheels.It is designed to help elderly and disabled people, or simply anyone who doesn't have enough arms for grocery bags, Wired magazine reported.It can carry up to 22.7 kg of items.
To make Budgee follow them, its owner will have to wear a small device and use an app to set the distance between themselves and the robot.Budgee even sends a text message when it can't keep up with its owner.
“I want you to look at the robot like he's your buddy, he's your friend. There's a relationship you develop with the robot,” Wendy Roberts, CEO of 5 Elements Robotics, told gigaom.com.
It might not be quite the same as robotic assistants we've seen in movies such as Disney's Wall-E, where robots cater for our every need, but that idea doesn't seem quite so far-fetched now.
