Have you ever dreamed of a robot friend who enriches your daily life with its companionship, entertains you, teaches you, and facilitates your social interactions? If so, the Nao robot will captivate your interest. This programmable humanoid robot has charmed thousands of people around the world. This article aims to immerse you in the world and innovative features of Nao, which goes far beyond the definition of a simple toy.
The Nao robot, measuring 58 cm, stands out with its 25 degrees of freedom, tactile, sound, and visual sensors, as well as its ability to recognize faces and voices. Thanks to its artificial intelligence, it adapts to its environment and its interlocutors. Nao can walk, dance, talk, identify objects and individuals, and even express emotions. Its dedicated software, Choregraphe, allows it to be programmed to perform specific tasks.
Created in 2004 by Bruno Maisonnier, founder of Aldebaran Robotics, a French company later acquired by the Japanese group SoftBank in 2015, Nao has evolved both in terms of hardware and software to become the most advanced and popular humanoid robot on the market.
Nao finds its place in various sectors, including education, research, healthcare, and entertainment.
In the rest of this article, we will delve deeper into the origin and evolution of Nao, its technical capabilities, practical applications, as well as its potential for innovation and accessibility. You will discover that Nao is a robot that has much to offer and could become your best friend.
Origin and Evolution of Nao
Nao was born from the avant-garde vision of Bruno Maisonnier, founder of Aldebaran Robotics, in 2004. After developing six prototypes between 2005 and 2007, Maisonnier unveiled the first Nao robot in 2006. This 58 cm tall humanoid robot quickly captivated robotics enthusiasts and researchers worldwide.
The History of Nao: From Early Prototypes to Today
In 2007, Nao succeeded Sony's Aibo robot dog as the official platform of RoboCup, a major event in the world of robot soccer. By 2008, it was offered to universities and research laboratories under the name Nao Academics Edition. In 2011, the general public had access to Nao Next Gen, enriched with advanced features such as HD cameras, an anti-collision system, and multilingual speech synthesis capabilities.
The acquisition of Aldebaran Robotics by SoftBank in 2015 marked a turning point, with the company being renamed SoftBank Robotics. In 2018, the sixth iteration of Nao, the Nao 6, was introduced, benefiting from an improved processor for increased performance.
To date, more than 13,000 Nao robots are operational in over 50 countries.
Technological Developments and Software Updates
Nao stands out for its ability to evolve, both in terms of hardware and software. It offers 25 degrees of freedom, allowing for a wide variety of movements and interactions. Its tactile, sound, and visual sensors provide a keen perception of its environment and the individuals it encounters.
Its facial and voice recognition technology fosters smooth interaction with humans. Thanks to its artificial intelligence, Nao learns and adapts from its experiences. Its specific programming is facilitated by Choregraphe, a software with an intuitive graphical interface and accessible programming language.
Regular software updates enrich Nao with new capabilities and improve its efficiency. For example, version 2.8 provides increased accuracy in detecting and recognizing shapes and faces through the implementation of new algorithms.
Technical Capabilities of Nao
Nao is a robot with impressive technical capabilities, designed to perceive, move, and interact with its environment. It is equipped with a multitude of sensors and actuators, providing exceptional sensory and motor skills.
It also excels in its interactive features, enabling it to communicate and recognise humans and objects. Its integration of artificial intelligence gives it the ability to learn and improve progressively.
Sensory and Motor Skills: A Technological Feat
Nao has 25 degrees of freedom, allowing smooth mobility to move, grasp objects, and perform a variety of movements. It can walk, dance, sit, stand up, avoid obstacles, and maintain balance. Equipped with two cameras for stereoscopic vision, Nao can capture high-definition photos and videos.
It has four microphones to capture sounds and voices, as well as two speakers allowing it to talk and sing. With tactile sensors on its head, hands, and feet, it responds to touch. Its pressure, temperature, sonar, and inertia sensors provide crucial information about its state and environment.
Interactive Features: Communication and Recognition
Nao excels in communication and recognition of humans and objects, capable of identifying faces, expressions, emotions, and intentions. It also recognizes objects, shapes, colors, and symbols, and can engage in dialogues by understanding and speaking multiple languages thanks to its speech recognition and synthesis.
It uses gestures, expressions, and sounds to express its emotions and needs. Artificial intelligence allows it to learn from its interactions and adapt, while it can be programmed for specific tasks via Choregraphe, a software offering an intuitive graphical interface and simple programming language.
Nao benefits from AI advancements, including large language models (LLMs) and voice recognition, enhancing its ability to generate and understand text and speech naturally and fluently.
Practical Applications of Nao
Nao, a robot with multiple practical applications, illustrates its potential and versatility. Its use extends to various sectors such as education, healthcare, events, and robotics competitions, offering unique services, solutions, and experiences to its users.
Here are some of Nao's capabilities in these areas.
In Education: An Interactive Teaching Tool
Nao serves as an interactive teaching tool, acting as an assistant or learning companion. It helps students acquire knowledge, skills, and values in a playful and personalized way. Nao also introduces programming and robotics, allowing the creation of scenarios and behaviors.
Used in a multitude of educational institutions, from primary schools to higher education, Nao is used to teach subjects like languages, sciences, or history. It also provides specialized support to students with special needs, such as those with autism, offering tailored support and stimulation.
In Healthcare: A Companion for Care and Assistance
As a companion for care and assistance, Nao offers comfort, distraction, and help to patients, the elderly, or people with disabilities. It can entertain, inform, encourage, or reassure, according to their needs and emotions, and assist in daily activities such as taking medication or rehabilitation.
Nao is adopted by many healthcare facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers, enhancing the quality of life and well-being of patients.
In Events: A New Marketing Tool
Nao, as a new marketing tool, has the power to attract, captivate, and retain customers, visitors, or spectators. It offers an original and memorable experience by welcoming, informing, guiding, or entertaining. It can also actively engage the audience through games, quizzes, or surveys.
Used in a variety of events such as trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, or performances, Nao creates buzz, builds connections, and generates satisfaction.
Engagement in Competitions: RoboCup and Beyond
Nao actively participates in robotics competitions, such as RoboCup, an international robot soccer competition aimed at promoting research and development in robotics and artificial intelligence. Used as a standard platform since 2007, Nao has won several world championship titles. It also participates in other competitions, such as the NAO Challenge, consisting of various missions such as object recognition, dance, or rescue.
Innovation and Accessibility
Nao is a robot that symbolizes innovation and accessibility, two fundamental values for SoftBank Robotics. It pushes the boundaries of innovation by integrating cutting-edge technological and scientific advancements in its development. It democratizes technology, making itself accessible and meeting the varied needs and expectations of its users, regardless of their age, skill level, or situation.
Let's find out how Nao achieves these ambitious goals.
How Nao Pushes the Boundaries of Innovation
Nao positions itself at the forefront of innovation, being at the cutting edge of robotics and artificial intelligence. It benefits from the latest research conducted by SoftBank Robotics and its partners, both academic and industrial, aimed at continuously improving its capabilities and performance.
This robot integrates the latest innovations in terms of hardware, software, and algorithms, allowing it to move, see, hear, speak, and learn more efficiently and naturally. Nao not only uses innovation but is also a source of it, inspiring researchers, teachers, students, and developers who consider it an ideal experimental platform to test, compare, and refine their research.
By actively participating in research projects, publications, conferences, and robotics competitions, Nao contributes to the advancement of science and technology.
Accessibility and Adaptation: Making Technology Useful for Everyone
Nao makes technology accessible to everyone, adapting to the needs and expectations of each individual, regardless of their age, skill level, or situation. Designed to be easy to use, program, and customize, it offers an intuitive graphical interface, a simple programming language, and an open operating system.
Its humanoid form, voice, gestures, and expressions make it interactive, friendly, and endearing. It can integrate into various contexts, such as education, healthcare, events, or entertainment, offering services, solutions, or experiences tailored to each situation.
Nao is accessible to everyone, including children, adults, the elderly, people with disabilities, or isolated individuals. It embodies a robot that brings technology closer to humans, making it more approachable and useful for all.
Conclusion
You now have a good understanding of Nao, this programmable humanoid robot that has marked a significant milestone in the evolution of robotics. You have explored its origin, discovered its technical capabilities, practical applications, and its potential to innovate and make itself accessible.
Nao presents itself as a daily companion capable of entertaining, educating, and facilitating social interactions. It stands out for its ability to adapt and evolve according to the needs of its users, thus playing a key role in the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge.
For those interested in Nao, various options are available, such as purchasing, renting, or borrowing through the official SoftBank Robotics website. Additionally, a range of online resources is available to enrich your experience with Nao, including tutorials, forums, and videos. Joining the Nao user community is also a great way to share experiences, tips, and creations.
Don't miss the opportunity to discover the innovative capabilities of Nao, a robot that has the potential to become your best friend.