Chinese internet colossus Baidu is out to make a splash with \u2018Little Fish,\u2019 a family robot that is a voice-controlled virtual valet akin to Amazon Echo or Google Home.<\/p>\n
\nBaidu showed off \u201cLittle Fish,\u201d a translation of its Chinese name \u201cXiaoyu Zaijia,\u201d on Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas ahead of its release in China later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think 2017 will be the year of conversational computing,\u201d Baidu chief scientist Andrew Ng said while demonstrating Little Fish for AFP behind closed doors at the show.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see a clear path of conversational computers changing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Using voice to interact with computers that are able to essentially learn from experience was among the hot trends at CES. Arrays of device makers added digital aide capabilities with the help of Amazon\u2019s Alexa or Google Assistant technology.<\/p>\n
Unlike \u201cfaceless\u201d Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices that rely on people asking for information or controlling devices by speaking, Little Fish also features a touch-screen on top of its orb-shaped base.<\/p>\n
A camera on top tracks faces, and the screen swivels to keep facing a speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeech is the fastest way for you to communicate with a computer, but a screen is a very fast way for a machine to communicate back to you,\u201d Ng said.<\/p>\n
For example, it would be quicker to glance at a requested list of top restaurants from Yelp than it would be to listen to the computer read all the names and descriptions, he said.<\/p>\n
Little Fish uses Baidu\u2019s operating system DuerOS, which is already employed by other devices in China, such as set-top TV boxes that can switch channels by voice command or figure out names of actors on screen when asked.<\/p>\n
The bigger vision is to build DuerOS into a broad range of gadgets that tap into Baidu\u2019s internet capabilities for search, food delivery, online commerce and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this takes off, I am not worried about how we will make money,\u201d Ng said when asked about revenue plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will transform how you use devices in your home. There are plenty of business models.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Fish, a second-generation device, will be released in China at a price yet to be disclosed, according to Baidu.<\/p>\n
Baidu partnered with hardware firm Ainemo to build it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe family robots will be the next big category that will be a member of everybody\u2019s home,\u201d Ainemo chief executive and founder Chenfeng Song said in a release.<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is getting a foothold in homes, with developers feverishly adding \u201cskills\u201d to Amazon Echo speakers infused with Alexa.<\/p>\n
Google, meanwhile, is using its AI prowess in Android smartphones, messaging software, and a vase-sized Home digital assistant.<\/p>\n
The home hubs, sometimes referred to as smart speakers, fetch content or answers from the internet, and can act as remote controls for other devices in houses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are moving technologies beyond the smartphone,\u201d said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) that organizes CES.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, vocal computing is replacing the (screen).\u201d<\/p>\n
Chinese tech giant Huawei said at CES that it is adding Amazon\u2019s Alexa to its flagship smartphone for its US launch.<\/p>\n
China-based Lenovo announced it was launching a smart home assistant powered by Alexa, joining the growing roster of contenders in the market for voice-activated devices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the smart home, voice is clearly important,\u201d DuBravac said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing that play out at CES.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expected voice technology to quickly improve, within years perhaps even being able to recognize speakers so accurately it could be used for biometric security, or simple parental override of internet use by offspring.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that in my home with my boys, I would like Alexa to recognize my voice as the ruler of the coop,\u201d DuBravac quipped.<\/p>\n
While digital assistant technology is being built into televisions, appliances and more, hub devices such as Alexa will be key to voice-controlled computing, according to the economist.<\/p>\n
NPD analyst Ben Arnold said at CES that he is \u201cbullish on everything voice and AI,\u201d with the technologies eventually \u201cpollenating\u201d devices so thoroughly they essentially become home operating systems.\u2014AFP<\/p>\n
Image: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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