The Robotics Institute

RI | Seminar | January 28

Robotics Institute Seminar, January 28
Time and Place | Seminar Abstract | Speaker Biography | Speaker Appointments

QRIO: Sony's Humanoid Robot

Ken Orii, Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing

Todd Kozuki, Senior Software Development Engineer

John DeCuir, Manager of Software development

Sony Entertainment Robot America (ERA)

 

Time and Place

NSH 3305
Refreshments 3:15 pm
Talk 3:30 pm

Abstract

 

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.

 

Sony Qrio Links:

Main page:     http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/

Videos:           http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/videoclip/index_nf.html

Overview:       http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/story/index_nf.html

 

 

Speaker Biography

 

Ken Orii is the Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing, Entertainment Robot America. He has been with Sony for 9 years.  And before AIBO in U.S., he worked at Entertainment Robot Company in Tokyo.

 

Todd Kozuki is a Senior Software Development Engineer for the AIBO and QRIO entertainment robots.  He has worked for this division of Sony since 2001. Todd is a Carnegie Mellon alumnus.  In 2001 he finished his studies at Carnegie Mellon with a Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He also received his Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2000, with a minor in Robotics.

 

John DeCuir leads software development efforts for Sony's AIBO and QRIO in the US.  He has been with Sony for 9 years and with AIBO since its release in 1999.  Before AIBO, he worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks, developing 3D interactive content for the Internet.

 

Speaker Appointments

There will be no speaker appointments.  However, there will be two public demonstrations of the QRIO earlier in the day:

10am-11am First demonstration - Rangos Hall, all welcome

12:30pm-1:30pm Second demonstration - Rangos Hall, general campus community, open to everyone

The Robotics Institute is part of the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University.