Realbotix says biometric AI vision system offers more sensitive robot companions

For those who feel a bit let down that the current wave of AI tools is mostly made up of voracious software rather than a fleet of friendly Droids, Realbotix Corp. is here to brighten your day. In a release, the Toronto-based company, which develops “humanoid robots and companionship-based AI,” has announced the launch of its proprietary Realbotix Robotic AI Vision System.

Realbotix says its system sets “a new standard for realism and adaptability in humanoid robots.” It comes with a full tank of biometric tricks and treats, including facial recognition, object recognition, face tracking and real-time scene detection capabilities, all of which contribute to heightened situational awareness for robots that aim to look like real flesh-and-blood people.

“The Realbotix AI Vision System marks a step forward in AI robotics,” says Andrew Kiguel, CEO of Realbotix. He notes that adding intelligent vision expands the use cases for robots, and says the release shows Realbotix reaffirming its commitment to “redefining the role of robots in our lives, offering solutions that improve the use cases for robots in social or business settings.”

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Face biometrics, LLMs offer personalized interactions, ‘nuanced conversation’

Technically, Realbotix’s biometrics and machine learning system for physical robots is a long way from Robie Junior.

Per the release, the Realbotix AI Vision System can detect human presence and adjust robot facial expressions dynamically, to create “emotionally engaging and natural responses that minimize the ‘uncanny valley’ effect.” Facial recognition capability means users can upload selfie biometrics through the Realbotix Robot Controller, so that robots can “remember and personalize interactions with individuals.”

Real-time object detection and scene analysis enable robots to provide “meaningful assistance across diverse environments, from smart homes to retail security and beyond.”

The multimodal AI system is cloud-based and “continuously updates its understanding of scenes, recognizing objects, people, and behaviors to generate adaptive, context-aware responses.” And it integrates real-time vision processing with large language models (LLMs), “enabling robots to engage in smarter, more contextually nuanced conversations.”

Oh you’ve got green eyes, 0.1 you’ve got blue eyes

So far, so good. But it wouldn’t be a sci-fi caliber robot without at least one mildly unsettling feature; the vision system operates in tandem with “Realbotix’s proprietary, patented realistic eyeball technology,” designed to make robots look as lifelike as possible. The eye is modular, meaning users can choose different colors. (One can only imagine a use case in which customers might want their ‘emotional companion’ to have smouldering green eyes.)

Realbotix promises a robot that is less weird, remembers you, can navigate complex spatial environments, and can chat with you based on what it sees and hears. If that sounds like a lot of human jobs, it is: the company foresees applications for its product across numerous industries, including healthcare, retail and security.