Carnegie Mellon to Host Special Event: A Visit by Sony's QRIO Humanoid Robot

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University will host Sony Electronics Inc., President and Chief Operating Officer Hideki “Dick” Komiyama who will demonstrate and discuss the technology behind QRIO, a two-and-a-half-foot tall, silver-colored, autonomous humanoid robot designed to interact with people as a companion or personal assistant.

QRIO, Sony’s corporate ambassador, whose name is a play on the word curiosity, combines cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and dynamics technologies. It can move on its own accord, gather information, recognize people’s faces and voices and carry on conversations. It possesses a fluidity of movement that enables it to walk and move its limbs in a smooth and natural way. When it falls or is pushed over, it can get up on its own and continue its activities.

QRIO was introduced to the world in Oct. 2003. It has made a number of appearances in the United States, but this is the first time Sony Electronics’ president will introduce and present it on an American college campus.

The event recognizes the company’s strong relationship with Carnegie Mellon AI and robotics researchers, in particular Computer Science Professor Manuela Veloso and her students, who have worked with its famed AIBO four-legged entertainment robots since 1998, honing their soccer playing skills to demonstrate teamwork and multi-agent learning. Carnegie Mellon teams have participated in the International RoboCup Legged competition since its inception in 1998. They were world champions in 1998 and 2002. They also were champions in the first two US Opens, which took place in 2003 and 2004.

When: 10 a.m. - 11:30 am and and 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Friday, January 28, 2004
Where: Rangos Hall, second floor University Center on the Carnegie Mellon campus.

Contact:
Anne Watzman
aw16@andrew.cmu.edu
(412)268-3830