Sharp to Release Robot Smartphone in 2016 (VIDEO)
Sharp is set to release a robot doubling as a smartphone called the RoBoHon next year.
Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp recently featured a prototype of a smartphone at the Ceatec Electronics Show in Tokyo last Tuesday, presenting audiences with a handset with the physical dimensions of a robot.
Measuring 7.5 inches tall and weighing 13.5 ounces, the RoBoHon, a mixture of the words "robot" and "phone," features an LCD screen on the body of a black and white robot.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The RoBoHon carries a 1.2Ghz quad core processor, a camera, a mic, and a speaker, and offers users text, call, and email capabilities, as well as Wi-Fi, LTE, and 3G support.
The handset, which is seen to fall within tablet category in size, also acts as a personal digital assistant, and features a taxi hailer app, and a movie and image projector to view photos and videos taken with the smartphone's camera.
The RoBoHon is equipped with a facial recognition system instead of a fingerprint sensor or an iris scanner, and also acts as a talking alarm clock, alerts users of text messages which it can be prompted to read aloud and reply to, and also responds to questions and comments directed at it.
Aside from ringing during a call, the RoBoHon also prompts users to pick up the phone, informing them "they have a call," and projects maps of a location on a clear surface for users looking for a certain destination.
The RoBoHon also moves like a robot does, and can walk as well as dance to music upon voice command. It is geared to learn from its interactions with humans, continually accumulating data from its environment.
There have been questions regarding the practicality of a robot smartphone, particularly since the gadget may prove bulky to hold, and to store in a pocket or a handbag.
Sharp has said it intends to release more information about the RoBoHon closer to its 2016 release date.
