Mar 1 2013
Dentsu Inc. (President & CEO: Tadashi Ishii; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 58,967.1 million yen) announced today the selection of the names "Kirobo" and "Mirata" for the two humanoid communication robots being developed under the KIBO ROBOT PROJECT, a joint research project being carried out in collaboration with the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo; ROBO GARAGE Co., Ltd.; and Toyota Motor Corporation.
Robot astronaut Kirobo (Photo: Business Wire)
Visitors to the Kibo Robot website (http://kibo-robo.jp/) were asked to submit two names each, and a total of 2,452 names were received. Together, the two names Kirobo and Mirata represent hope for the future. Kirobo will be sent to the International Space Station in June, while Mirata will stay on Earth. They are shown in the photos below.
The KIBO ROBO PROJECT members are currently conducting all the reviews and experiments needed to launch a robot into space, and final completion is scheduled for this spring. Kirobo will be sent to the International Space Station this summer, and in the winter will come face-to-face with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese commander of the International Space Station. They will then take part in the world's first conversation experiment held between a person and a robot in outer space. In addition to acting as a backup for Kirobo, Mirata will participate in educational activities and events that target children here on Earth.
A two-minute video trailer summarizing the tests made to date can be viewed on the website http://kibo-robo.jp/ starting from today. The images used in this press release can also be downloaded from this website.
The project collaborators hope to disseminate Japan's technological strengths to the international community through the project's activities, and make a contribution to the development of industry and science education.
Robot Specifications
Dimensions: Height: 34 cm, Width: 18 cm, Depth: 15 cm (approx.)
Weight: 1000 g (approx.)
Language: Japanese
Main features: Voice (speech) recognition, natural language processing, voice (speech) synthesis, telecommunications functions, communication actions, facial recognition camera, recording camera
The specifications are current as of the date of this press release, and are subject to change due to on-going development.