Would Indian parents buy a companion robot for their child?

That’s the question Mumbai-based company Emotix is attempting to answer today using a bot named Miko. The little robot can converse with and play with youngsters but at Rs. 19,000, it is not cheap.

Miko’s design was reminiscent of Eve, the robot from the film Wall-E. Miko, unlike Eve, cannot fly and must rely on its three wheels to move. The LEDs on the bot’s sides light up in different colors depending on what it’s doing. When the battery is low, the LEDs become red, and the colors vary to show whether Miko is talking, listening, or dancing.

This robot can communicate with children over the age of five, and it encourages them to do so by saying things like, “Ask me something.” It will respond to general knowledge questions, answer basic math questions, or do fun things like telling stories or singing a song-just prefix your request with “Hey Miko.” Miko also instructs youngsters not to trash, among other things. They can even play games with youngsters, such as book cricket.

Miko does not require Internet access to do many of these functions; it can play a game or even conduct a basic conversation without being connected to the Internet, but answering general knowledge questions will require it to be connected to the Internet.

What’s the major difference between Miko and Miko 2?

Miko 2 arrived two years after the firm introduced Miko, its first market-ready robot. The Miko 2 features improved parental controls, upgraded microphones, a front camera, and enhanced “emotional intelligence.” It is Emotix’s third product to hit the market, after the release of Miko Plus as a slight improvement to Miko earlier this year.

Like Miko, Miko 2 is a three-wheeled robot that children can converse with. It features a noise-canceling microphone so that the gadget can hear your orders even when there is background noise. Miko 2 appears to be quite similar to Miko Plus in terms of design.

Miko 2 is being positioned by Emotix as a kid’s companion robot, and it can now ask youngsters to prepare for exams. It has a front-facing screen that can display expressions when no other information is available. It is activated by a simple spoken command, “Hey Miko,” and the robot now has more expressive expressions.

It is also capable of making video calls. This function, branded TeleConnect by the business, will allow parents to communicate with their children. The firm intends to provide a software development kit to allow third-party developers to create Miko 2. (SDK) programs. The Miko 2 SDK is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2019, but the firm has worked with Amar Chitra Katha, Mocomi, and StoryWalker to have some material accessible at launch.

During the occasion, Emotix CEO Sneh Vaswani stated that the business is devoted to privacy and that all contact with Miko is end-to-end encrypted. He stated that Emotix took this decision because youngsters would use the gadget and that data privacy is essential for the target demographic.

The Miko 2 is available in three colors: Martian Red, Pixie Blue, and Goblin Green, and costs Rs. 24,999. Miko 2 will be available in India through Hamleys stores beginning December 15 and in additional offline and online outlets from January 15 of next year.

View Miko 2 Here.

What exactly does Miko the robot do?

Miko 2 provides young learners with the best in children’s books, created by educators for children. Miko 2 guides children through this vast realm of information by employing a conversational method that has been shown to improve learning outcomes.

This robot recognizes and responds to your kid using sophisticated face and speech recognition. Miko 2 learns more about your kid with each contact, pushing engagement to new heights by using this powerful but safe technology.

  • Miko 2 makes learning enjoyable by engaging students in dialogue. It is loaded with an academic curriculum, news updates, international information, and much more!
  • Miko 2 is outfitted with an emotional intelligence machine that recognizes, recalls, and remembers the kid’s moods, developing with the child with each interaction.
  • TeleConnect allows you to communicate with your kids anytime and from any location via video calling and remote navigation.
  • With data encryption and stringent privacy standards, a trustworthy tiny robot keeps the child’s data safe. It is completely child-safe, with profanity filters, age-appropriate materials, and culturally neutral suggestions.
  • Packed with educational and entertaining activities, Miko 2 can play music, dance, tell stories, riddles, rhymes, and amusing facts, and even do the moonwalk!

Miko is fluent in how many languages?

Miko 2, India’s first Hindi-speaking kid companion robot, was presented by India’s robotics pioneer Miko, who was created by three ex-IITians. Miko 2 will be able to communicate in Spanish and Arabic, in addition to Hindi and English.

This Hindi version of the artificial intelligence-based robot promises to provide an unparalleled experience to a completely new range of users, assisting children and parents with effective learning and development. On Miko 2, the entry to Hindi mode is’ Ab Hindi Ho Jaye.’

“Our goal is to solve this need and become the most trusted brand when it comes to technology for children’s learning and development,” stated Sneh R. Vaswani, Co-founder, and CEO of Miko.

Miko 2’s latest update has been specifically designed to answer this need to make the kid companion more relevant for Indians, particularly those who can only speak and comprehend Hindi.

As the latest version of Miko, a robot that can see, hear, sense, express, communicate, recognize faces, recall names, detect emotions, begin a conversation, and learn from its surroundings, it can  instinctively form a relationship with a kid.

Miko 2 fills a complicated need-gap in education, technology, and entertainment, according to the firm. Miko’s user base has already grown to more than 90 nations following its growth in the United States.

Key Features of Miko

Miko, with its three wheels, is intended for use on flat areas. Because it lacks a drop detection feature, it is best suited for usage on residential floors. If Miko collides with an item or is put on an uneven surface, it can adjust its path or alert you that it needs to be on a flat surface. It features a small display that exhibits various expressions when the robot converses with youngsters. And the Emotix team worked hard to make sure it had enough charm to keep youngsters interested.

It’s amusing, instructive, and entertaining all at the same time. It provides a secure and positive environment for children to interact with technology. It is appropriate for children aged 5 to 10. Here are some of its other characteristics:

  • Communicate with your child
  • Age-appropriate information created by educators and pediatric experts has the ability to sing, dance, perform games, tell stories, share jokes, and run entertaining quizzes
  • Possesses distinctive noises, expressions, gestures, and peculiarities
  • You may participate in telecommunication using Miko 2’s camera and chat capabilities.
  • Control over your youngster remotely and encrypted!

As per the above discussion, Miko would be a great addition to your family to educate and entertain kids.

Final Thoughts

Miko can be the real companion for your kids even when you are away. And, if you’re concerned about safety or parental control, don’t be! You can restrict playtime and regulate the subjects of discourse. It is private, secure, and safe– data encryption ensures that your information is secure and is not stored or shared.