Ropet Is a Cute, Cuddly, ChatGPT-Backed "AI" Companion Robot for Your Desk or Coffee Table
Stationary robot leans on OpenAI's LLM for natural-language conversation and "emotional responses," its creators say.
Hong Kong-based robotics startup Ropet has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a fur-coated companion robot with conversational capabilities, powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT large language model (LLM).
"Ropet [is] a cuddly AI robot pet," Ropet's Jaibin He explains of his company's creation, "a warm, interactive companion designed to bring joy and comfort to everyone. With advanced visual recognition, Ropet identifies faces and responds to your expressions. It also reacts to touch, voice, and movement, constantly learning and growing from every moment you are together."
The Ropet itself isn't an ambulatory robot, but something closer to an Amazon Echo Dot with personality: its motorized based allows the robot's head to turn to face its user, while moving ears combined with a pair of LCD display "eyes" allow the robot to display simulated emotions and reactions. While the eyes may just be for show, though, there's a camera integrated into Ropet's nose — and a microphone in its forehead.
The unspecified control hardware inside each Ropet connects to the user's Wi-Fi network, and from there makes application programming interface (API) calls to OpenAI's ChatGPT large language model — giving it the ability to respond to natural-language prompts with generated text read out through a speech synthesis engine over a built-in speaker. This combines with integrated capabilities including touch sensitivity and music reactivity — while Ropet also showcases facial recognition capabilities and even a functional object classification model with a focus on food.
"Ropet relies heavily on advanced AI and multi-modal interactions, including ChatGPT for conversations and various emotional responses. While we've made significant progress, fine-tuning the software for seamless user experience and improving the emotional intelligence capabilities will continue after launch," He admits of the device's current capabilities. "We're committed to providing regular software updates, and we'll work hard to make sure the system is always improving based on your feedback."
The Ropet is currently funding on Kickstarter with physical rewards starting at $169 for early-bird backers of the Ropet Basic, while the Ropet Pro, at $189 for early-bird backers, adds a charging base as an alternative to USB Type-C connectivity on the robot itself; both prices represent a claimed 43 percent discount over the planned retail price. All hardware is expected to ship in March next year, Ropet says.