France’s Robosoft create caring robot

French robotics company, Robosoft, has created a robot that can speak, understand what is said to it and find its way around the house in order to assist dependent people at home.

According to the company the robot, named Kompaï, is a mobile and communicative device that can understand simple orders and give a moderate level of response.

It knows its position in the house, is able to get from one area to another, remains permanently connected to internet services and is able to find a recharging dock when the batteries are low.

In a demonstration video of the robot, it can be seen to take direct orders from the user including reading out and adding to a shopping list, singing, asking questions about the user’s health and sending an email to their GP with the person’s symptoms listed.

Vincent Dupourqué, chief executive office of Robosoft, said: "One of our top priorities is the domestic robots market for dependent persons, whether they are elderly, handicapped or autistic.

“Kompaï is the culmination of several years of research with scientific and medical partners. This first generation is intended for developers who would like to implement their own robotics applications for assistance.”

The company claims that further development of the product will equip the robot with visual abilities and the possibility for it to understand and express emotions. It will also be advanced to handle objects leading to the completion of everyday tasks such as meal preparation and tidying.

The development of the robot is funded by the European Commission’s Ambient Assisted Living Programme and the French National Agency of Research (ANR).

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Video: Kompaï R&D first field trials