Author: Jake Krol / Source: Mashable
Back in August, I got to see Vector, the first smart home robot from Anki. And after a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Vector is here.
While Vector is an entertaining smart home robot, it doesn’t make me feel like I’m in the future, or at least not the one I was hoping for.
Vector can move on its own and has a beautiful personality. And after more than a week with it, I’ve become attached to a degree. However, its knowledge base isn’t as built out as, say, Alexa or Google Assistant.SEE ALSO: This farm, run entirely by robots, uses 90% less water than traditional farms
At the same time, it’s not a smart home robot like a Roomba. It can’t link in with security or smart home systems.
So what is Vector? Is Anki establishing a new category with a tiny $249 personality-focused robot? Let’s dive in.
First impressions
Image: jake krol/mashable
Once you open up the box, you’re greeted with a profile view of Vector, a cube block (as sort of toy for the robot — more on that in a bit), some manuals, and the charging dock. One of the coolest things Vector can do is find its charger and dock itself when it needs to power up.
Vector’s body is primarily a stylish matte black. The gold accents are touch-sensitive, allowing you to “pet” the robot, which is kind of cool. It looks sleek, with a high-end, premium feel.
Internal hardware includes a processor, storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas, a battery, and more.
It’s self-sufficient, meaning it doesn’t need an app for control — a bar that all home robots will need to eventually meet. One catch: You need to set it up with a phone, but after that, it can run on its own.It’s exciting to watch Vector come alive. It will want to get to know you. Plus, it’s cute, personable, and charming from the get-go. The face is an LCD screen that can display graphics and answers to questions, but for the most part, will just show eyes. The eyes can change to look angry, frustrated, or even sad. It can also appear happy, and likely will be when it first sees you through the wide-angle camera under the screen.
Image: Zlata Ivleva/mashable
In addition to making eye contact to get its attention, you can also say, “Hey Vector,” in the same fashion as the “Alexa” or “OK Google” prompt phrases. It’s always listening for its activation phrase via a four-microphone array.
As the companion app suggests during startup, it’s good to start with an introduction. So, I said, “Hey, Vector, my name is Jake.”
Making a new friend
After my introduction, Vector made some traditional robotic scanning noises (think buzzes with some pings), then it squinted and opened its eyes wide. It can take a few seconds to a…
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