Robotic helpers, while not exactly a household staple yet, are far from being a new concept. Several tech companies have already invested in these types of products, and now we can add LG to that growing list. Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas just this morning (as of writing), the “Hub” robot is a cute, white little thing with a big black face, almost resembling a ghost. It’s powered by the same software behind Amazon’s Alexa but boasts an animated face and the ability to turn and look at whomever is talking to it.
In order to get full use out of Hub, it’s best to have a house stuffed full of LG products. You can probably guess why – Hub has the ability to remotely control a wide variety of connected appliances, from the oven to the automatic lawnmower. So just how smart is the AI? According to LG, Hub can recognize people by their faces, learn about individual family members, and supposedly have conversations with them. (“I’m sorry Bawwy. I don’t understand ‘wecommend a westawant.'”) Good luck with that.
Hub comes in two consumer flavors and one business model. The household units consist of one larger bot that acts as the primary control point. Miniature versions can be placed around the house that simply activate and perform when given voice commands. For public places handling significant numbers of customers, like hotels and airports, there exists a larger, mobile version of Hub designed to assist with direction and even answer questions. In the event of a robot uprising, all Hub units are equipped with rocket propellers and eye lasers. Now imagine having the thing call customer service for you while simultaneously trying to kill you.
Good or bad, you can believe that The Nerd Stash will have plenty of info on the latest tech as its revealed and as it hits the shelves.
