Emotional robot AIQ set to debut in China

AIQ, a humanoid robot designed for emotional interaction, is set to debut soon. Its Sichuan province-based developer claims it to be the world's first humanoid robot for emotional interaction.

Feng Zhenyu, CEO and CTO of Sichuan Embodied Intelligent Robot Technology in Chengdu, said the robot is designed to read human emotions through voice and facial expressions, and to respond with corresponding words and gestures.

He said that AIQ is meant to provide warm interactions and psychological support for the elderly in senior care settings. It will also assist with cultural, commercial, tourism, and public service scenarios through natural verbal and expressive interactions.

The company has developed the world's first "Emotion-Language-Action" large model to help the robot build emotional perception and interactive decision-making capabilities, Feng said.

Rather than mainstream solutions like simulated silicone skin or display screens, the robot pioneers the use of 3D ultra-short-throw projection to give more natural facial and emotional expressions, he added.

Feng said that AIQ's exterior design draws inspiration from the dragon lizard, a nationally protected wildlife species endemic to Southwest China, to convey the concept of biodiversity conservation.