Robots are becoming smarter and more capable each day. Here, we look at some of the most interesting and innovative robots around today.

1. The Cute, The Weird
And The Lovely:
7 Of The Kookiest
Robots Around

2. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
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IntroductionIntroduction
Robots are becoming smarter and more capable each day. Here, we look at some of the
most interesting and innovative robots around today.
Today’s robots are more intelligent than ever, learning to respond to their environment
and perform a range of tasks autonomously, without human intervention. As such,
robots are now entirely commonplace in sectors like manufacturing; the International
Federation of Robotics estimated that 1.7 million new robots would be installed in
factories around the world by 2020.
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around

3. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
Then we have the rise of collaborative robots, or cobots, which are explicitly designed to
work alongside humans as helpful robotic colleagues. In this way, the future of many
industries may mean humans and robots working seamlessly side by side.
It’s no wonder, then, that robotics is considered a major, transformative technology trend
– one that, along with rising automation, will no doubt shape the future of work. So far
so serious. But there’s also a lighter side to robotics. Take a look at the latest robots
being unveiled and there are plenty of examples that make us smile or raise a baffled
eyebrow in wonder.
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around

4. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around
Here are seven of my favorite weird and wonderful robots around right now.
1. Luka is an interactive reading companion for kids – or, to put it another way, a
cute owl-shaped little robot that reads picture books out loud. Put an open book in front
of Luka, and it starts reading what's on the page. Turn the page, and it carries on reading
for you. Luka's makers say it can recognize over 15,000 English-language picture books,
and 45,000 Chinese picture books. And for books that aren’t in Luka’s existing library, you
can read and record any other picture book, allowing Luka to read that book aloud in the
future, in your voice!
2. Could the Robo-Shark autonomous underwater vehicle be the future of naval
surveillance? At the very least, it surely has the coolest name in the robot world. Robo-
Shark is, as you might expect, an actual robot shark, measuring six feet in length and
weighing in at 130 pounds, with a fin tail propulsion system that lets it glide silently
through the water – ideal for stealthy surveillance. Fully customizable, it can be fitted with
a camera system, communications system, or sensors, and it can travel up to 6,500 feet
while being controlled remotely from a base station.

5. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around
3. If underwater surveillance isn’t your thing, how about a nice game of ping
pong? A one-of-a-kind, ping pong-playing robot called Forpheus could give you a game
while automatically adjusting its playing level to match your abilities (just in case you were
worried about being thrashed by a robot). Forpheus has a robotic arm that swings the
paddle, a “brain” that tells it how to hit the ball, and multiple cameras to help it identify
ping pong balls and track its opponent’s movements. The ability to adjust to each
opponent’s playing level is all down to AI.
4. Lovot was a huge hit at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and I
can see why. This small, huggable robot looks a bit like a penguin on wheels (if penguins
had the face of a sloth), and it has one purpose in life – to give love. At CES, Lovot
wheeled around the show blinking its big, cute eyes at visitors, and flapping its arms when
it wanted to be picked up and cuddled.

6. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around
5. If there’s one thing busy restaurants need, it’s a robotic cat waiter. Yes, you read
that correctly, a robotic cat waiter. The BellaBot autonomous food delivery robot has the
head of a cat (obviously) and a body comprised of shelves for carrying food trays. Thanks
to cameras and sensors, it can navigate a busy restaurant floor and deliver food to waiting
customers – meowing to let customers know to take their orders from its shelves. BellaBot
will also purr when customers give it a head-scratch. Good, er, robot kitty waiter.
6. While we’re on the subject of cats, the Petit Qoobo is a furry robot pet designed
for people who can’t own a real pet because of allergies, their living situation, or their busy
career. Think of a headless furry ball with a wagging tail, and you've got the somewhat
disturbing picture.
7. As someone who’s been writing about technology trends for years, I’ve been
waiting a long time to write the words “toilet robot”. Finally, my dream has come true. The
RollBot toilet robot, developed by Charmin, is designed to solve the problem of being
stuck on the toilet without a toilet roll in sight. RollBot, a tiny cartoon bear on wheels,
trundles to the rescue, balancing a fresh roll on its head. Surely civilization can advance no
further. Our work here is done.

7. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cute, The Weird And The Lovely: 7 Of The
Kookiest Robots Around
Robotics is just one of 25 technology trends that I believe will transform our society. Read
more about these key trends – including plenty of real-world examples (kooky and
otherwise) – in my book, Tech Trends in Practice: The 25 Technologies That Are Driving
The 4th Industrial Revolution.

8. Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2020 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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