Meet Cute Jibo: The World’s First Family Robot That Knows Everyone

IN SUITE 712 of the Eventi Hotel, high above the sticky June bustle of Midtown Manhattan, New York, one of the world's most advanced consumer robots awaits command.

Jibo is the result of years of work and study by Breazeal. She told me that despite concerns from some people, robots like Jibo are not intended to replace humans. "It's about human empowerment," she says.

"Wake up, Jibo," says Cynthia Breazeal, his creator. The robot's round head shakes awake. He lets out a tinkling noise, then a yawn. Jibo's two-part body twists and stretches and his face, with a single digital eye, switches on and turns to look at us. He looks like a Pixar character come to life.

Jibo is the first robot designed to be used by the whole family. He's not a niche robot with a single purpose, like a Roomba, nor is he a toy. Available for $499 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that starts this week, Jibo is designed to tap into the social fabric of a household and help out. The first model, which will ship in 2015, will perform simple tasks like taking voice reminders, fielding phone calls and messages – connecting to the family's phones through Wi-Fi. He will also act as the heart of the home connecting to iPads, TVs and games consoles. More complex skills include automatically identifying the faces in a room and taking pictures on request and reading a story to a child.