We all love hoverboards. But how much can you love a hoverboard that also makes you coffee?
Well, we’re not quite there yet. But Intel recently announced at its CES Keynote 2016 a new technological marvel that is coming to your door soon. The Hoverboard Robot Butler is a collaborative effort and an innovation feat from 3 market leaders in technology – Segway, Xiaomi, and Ninebot.
The hoverboard robot butler, as its name suggests, is a transportation vehicle that also transforms into your own personal robot, or “butler”. It can carry you around, take videos, talk, make cute faces, scan its environment for interactive actions and best of all – its software is an open platform; which basically means that you can make it do anything you want it to! According to its developers, savvy users could, with the appropriate knowledge and development kit, program it to perform specific tasks. This makes it more personalized – hence its name “robot butler”.
This transportation vehicle is also a self-balancing electric scooter. It uses sensors at the feet for cues on how to “balance” itself. Yes. This is to prevent you from falling over. Lean forward or backward, and it will automatically adjust to keep you in balance. Built on top of segway’s pioneering experience in making premium, robust and reliable hoverboards. The Hoverboard Robot Butler is so much more than a hoverboard. In fact, under the hood, are powerful technologies developed by Xiaomi and Ninebot all working to give you an exceptional and enjoyable hoverboard experience.
Features of the Hoverboard Robot Butler
- Programmable: With the appropriate know-how, you can make this robot do anything you want.
- Transformer: The hoverboard immediately transforms itself into a robot with the push of a button. (It is not clear at this point if it can transform whenever you set foot away from it, as hinted from the CES Keynote video).
- Self-balancing: It will most likely never fall over. As long as you walk on flat terrain, it will follow you (or you can glide on it) around.
- Humanoid: It has an appearance to match its companion role. With cute round eyes, it is also expressive. Best of all, it can also talk and respond to verbal (possibly also visual) commands.
- Powerful Cameras: Equipped with no less than 5 cameras in its extendable head, it can inspect its environment with a high degree of accuracy with a proprietary technology called “RealSense“, recognizing faces and objects it can interact with. RealSense can recognize your face and will follow you in the streets without fear of it following another stranger.
- Transportation: Not only can it transport you, but it can also be used to transport almost anything you can fit on it. From groceries to your college bag, it will loyally follow you anywhere you go. This is a lifesaver for seniors doing their shopping.
- Interactive: You can interact with the robot with its powerful voice recognition. Intel hinted towards it being more than just a transportation vehicle, but also your personal robotic companion. Talk to it, and it will respond. Although, details on this are scant at this early stage of development.
- Personal Butler: It can go open your door, literally. If it hears your doorbell, the segway robot is on it!
Now Let’s see a video about an amazing robot hoverboard.
So, can it make your coffee? We’re not quite there yet. For now, the Hoverboard Robot Butler is everything you would expect from your butler and more.