Hey MiRo!
MiRo is an animal-like robot developed by the University of Sheffield spin-out company Consequential Robotics, and controlled by software based on 25 years of research by Professor Tony Prescott, and researchers in the Department of Computer Science, using robots to understand the brain.
MiRo is currently used in schools and universities as a platform for robotics education, but it is also a research tool for investigating future applications of robotics in consumer electronics, health and social care. Miro’s friendly appearance makes it an engaging companion for people of all ages, but it is also a sophisticated piece of technology equipped with onboard computers, 2 high-definition cameras, 4 microphones, 28 touch sensors, 12 motors and more,
With the advent of AI large language models such as ChatGPT there is growing interest in the possibility of robot companions that we can talk to. New deep neural network models have also transformed the ability of robots to understand and act in the world through their perceptual and motor systems. This means that robots can go beyond technologies such as Siri and Google Assistant and have conversations about what is happening in the world around them, and physically interact with people in different settings. At Sheffield Robotics we are integrating these technologies into various robot platforms, our long term goal is to understand how robots could fit into the social fabric of human society in ethical, inclusive and, of course, fun ways.
At the Festival of Mind we are showcasing some of these capabilities in the MiRo robot as a prototype for the robot pets of the future. With MiRo’s enhanced interactivity we can ask questions such as: How do people react to a robot designed to speak, feel and seem alive? Are these robots capable of contributing to sensitive social scenarios, such as elderly care? Can robots be used as assistive technologies for disability communities? At Sheffield Robotics we expect robots to increasingly impact our lives in coming decades, with “Hey, MiRo!” we are showing some of the ways in which robots could make a difference.
This exhibit is supported by the Wellcome Trust through the Imagining Technologies for Disability Futures project and by InnovateUK under the UK’s funding guarantee scheme for the European Innovation Council Pathfinder project CAVAA (project no. 101071178).
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Hey MiRo! 