Anki is gearing up for the launch of its toy robot Cozmo with a new series of videos it's calling "Cozmoments," little vignettes designed to humanize its artificial intelligence-powered character. The first of these videos, released today with the title "Best Friend," features Cozmo weaving his way around the house to sneak up on the family dog before devilishly tapping it on its tail to wake it from sleep.
It feels very Pixar-like — if the Disney-owned animation studio made live-action films. Of course, that makes sense. Cozmo is modeled after WALL-E, among other famous animated robots. Anki also employs former Pixar animator Carlos Baena, who leads a team responsible for designing all of the facial animations and quirky movements that give Cozmo a personality.
The goal is to craft a real-life character out of hardware and computer code that you may have previously only seen in movies. Cozmo can play games, remember faces, and also maneuver around an environment on its own. Over time, Anki says the robot will learn, improve, and unlock new features as it becomes more comfortable with you. Cozmo goes on sale in October for $180, but Anki is offering preorders at a discounted price of $160.
