Bloomberg Businessweek
Go To Businessweek.com
During the past 20 years, the author has watch China move from being a developing country into an industrial superpower
Money Moves, 5/24: Chocomize Co-Founder Fabian Kaempfer talks with Bloomberg’s Deirdre Bolton about the business of customizing chocolate
The president's campaign has a new rule—no cell phones allowed
In honor of remote control inventor Eugene Polley, we recognize other influential but neglected inventors who have felt the sting of stolen glory
Forget Adderall. Traders now pop chia seeds to stay focused and energized
The Italian automaker and others are adding hybrid technology to elite cars
The storied bridge that links San Francisco and Marin County changed the face of California
Schools cultivate ties with startups before they're big successes
Dave McClure's traveling venture capital show scours the world for promising startups
(page 2 of 2)
Richard North, WOW! Stuff’s floppy haired managing director, explains that the company scours the world for good ideas and then has its own team of engineers refine the products. In this case, refining Keepon meant writing new software to govern the bots’ interactions with people, and replacing a lot of the handmade machinery with off-the-shelf parts. For example, WOW! Stuff’s version, renamed My Keepon, uses touch and sound sensors to detect a nearby human instead of cameras behind the eyes. “There were severe cost constraints, but we had to figure out ways to add variation and personality and avoid being a gimmick,” says North.
My Keepon has two modes: touch and dance. In touch mode, the robot responds to pats with a range of gestures, such as turning, wiggling, or sneezing. Part of the fun comes from uncovering My Keepon’s reactions. Hit it on the head six times, for instance, and it will pop up and down six times while emitting a variety of R2-D2-like beeps and boops. There’s a bit of mystery to dance mode, too. A microphone in My Keepon’s nose listens to a song—or even a rhythm hummed or whistled—and runs the tempo and amplitude through an algorithm that introduces some randomization. Fire up a country hit and watch My Keepon sashay to the beat. Play the same song again, and My Keepon will do a different dance, while still matching the rhythm and tempo.
It’s that focus on the unexpected that Michalowski says will separate My Keepon from other toys that “lose their novelty once someone has gone through their range of responses.” My Keepon can remember sequences of touches and notices when it’s been ignored. It will tweak its behavior based on this history, wiggling in different ways and letting out an occasional cry for attention. The toy’s backers pitch My Keepon as a blank slate that could appeal to kids and adults. “You might see Keepon as pensive or sad, maybe whatever you are feeling,” Michalowski says. North, of course, is readying a line of accessories, like Western outfits, to let people customize the bot to their liking.
Toys “R” Us has plans to put hi-tech marketing displays in its stores and launch a television ad campaign. Though the final price isn’t set yet, My Keepon will sell for less than $50. “It will have a huge presence,” says Barry.
Michalowski’s big hope is that the proceeds from My Keepon will help cover the costs of new therapeutic units, so additional autism research can be conducted. He and North also plan to offer robotics hobbyists the tools to program My Keepon themselves, giving it moves undreamt of by its creators. “We expect kids and adults to personalize not just on the outside but on the inside too,” says North.
The bottom line: Toys “R” Us plans a big marketing push this fall for My Keepon, which will sell for less than $50—outfits and accessories not included.
Vance is a technology writer for Bloomberg Businessweek.
