A3: Kuri

Ivette Torres
Professor Roundtree
Art and Technology
March 1st, 2018

Kuri is described as being a home and companion AI robot. Originally built to be a security robot, Kuri's creators decided to focus on a robot for companionship rather than protection. Kuri is more or less a robot designed for interaction and entertainment. The biggest influence from previous decades for Kuri, and basically all robotics, would be the automaton. Automaton were mechanisms that performed human functions and typically, but not always, had a human-like aesthetic as part of their designs. Some examples of automaton would be  Jacques Vaucanson’s automan of a pooping duck in which he constructed a mechanical duck that would eat seeds and poop them out and  Wolfgang von Kempelen chess playing automaton – which turned out to be a complete scam but encourage other engineers to create automaton that could actually perform complex actions. (Kilson)(What Is a Home Robot?) 

The most interesting thing about Kuri as a companion robot is that it's expected relationship to its owner is relatively different than what has been seen with other robotics. With previous robotics, like the robotic hands used in manufacturing cars, they take the place of humans in performing repetitive tasks - just like with the automaton they are built to perform human functions. But Kuri has a limited amount of intelligence and function, in all reality he is not the most practical or especially useful piece of technology – especially for the price. Most of his practical functions, such as video recording and Bluetooth speaker, could actually be performed by much cheaper pieces of technology.
But Kuri is able to interact, to an extent, with its owners and is programmed to create/bond and integrate itself as this sort of mechanical pet within its owners’ life and that is what I find sets Kuri apart from other robotics and what makes it as a 21st century technology so influential as well as interesting. Kuri changes the type of relationship individuals would typically have with their technology in that it humanizes it/ makes it anthropomorphic. Which is what I think to be the most influential aspect and will have the biggest impact on technology created in the future. Because Kuri, this cute and friendly companion robot, will encourage the creation of more technology that has much more anthropomorphic interactions with the people. Examples of these kidns of robots would be; robots who would be similar to Kuri working within hospitals or retirement homes that would be equipped with more mobility and functions that allow them to care and interact with the sick/ elderly. Robots built to help in assisting the police or firemen, presumably designed to protect or take their places in more dangerous situations. Robots that are able to perform construction and maintenance tasks. Or robots that are programed to interact and teach younger children.  The list could go on but it is literally any type of robot straight out of a science fiction movie, television show, or comic book that you could think of.  (Kilson)(What Is a Home Robot?)(Simon)(Karsten et. al) 

Although I am preferably hoping for something like the robots from Astro Boy and or Wall-E and less like the robots in I, Robot.  But Kuri is a step towards this, towards a future where robots are integrated into our lives and are there to help and assist us on a daily basis and in relieving us of certain tasks they would give us more time to focus on other things, such as more creative pursuits. The creators of Kuri basically state a similar thing themselves as to where they see the future of robots heading towards and I couldn’t agree more with them.  (What Is a Home Robot?)

Works Cited

Kilson, Kashann. “How Automatons Helped Predict the Future of Robots .” Inverse Innovation , Inverse Innovation , 22 Jan. 2016, <www.inverse.com/article/10494-how-automatonshelped-predict-the-future-of-robotics >. 

Karsten, Jack, and Darrell M. West. “How Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Will Affect Employment and Public Policy.” Brookings, Brookings, 29 July 2016, <www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2015/10/26/how-robots-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-will-affect-employment-and-public-policy/>. 

“What Is a Home Robot?” Kuri's Robot Blog, Kuri, 14 Nov. 2017, <blog.heykuri.com/what-is-a-home-robot/>. 


Simon, Matt. “The Genesis of Kuri, the Friendly Home Robot.” Wired, Conde Nast, 29 Nov. 2017, www.wired.com/story/the-genesis-of-kuri/.