Kuri
Kuri is a companion and home monitoring robot designed for indoor family environments, featuring an expressive personality through facial animations, chirps, beeps, and head movements. It autonomously navigates homes using SLAM mapping to capture 5-second video clips of people and pets, provides remote live HD video access via mobile app for security and telepresence, entertains children by reading stories, playing music through dual speakers, and dancing. Equipped with voice recognition for commands like "go home" or "tell a joke," it differentiates humans from pets, responds to touch, and automatically returns to its charging station. Ideal for home awareness, family interaction, and introducing kids to technology, though production ceased in 2018.
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Latest News About Kuri
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Mayfield Robotics Shuts Down Kuri Operations October 2018
Mayfield Robotics, the Bay Area innovator behind the endearing home robot Kuri, officially ceased all operations by the end of October 2018, marking a somber end to its ambitious venture. This closure followed a July 2018 halt in manufacturing, prompted by parent company Bosch's determination that Kuri lacked a strategic fit within its vast portfolio after extensive reviews. Despite shipping initial units to backers in late 2017, the startup grappled with home robotics' harsh economics, including a $700 price tag that deterred mass adoption. The decision underscores corporate priorities overriding startup dreams, leaving employees to seek roles within Bosch while the team reflected on four years of groundbreaking design.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1. What is Kuri, and what problem is it designed to solve?
Kuri is a wheeled home companion robot developed by Mayfield Robotics. According to the manufacturer, it was designed to provide home monitoring, entertainment, and interaction through autonomous navigation and remote access features.
Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of Kuri?
Kuri features a 1080p HD camera for video streaming, four microphones for voice detection, dual speakers, and sensors for mapping and obstacle avoidance. It communicates via expressive head movements, eye animations, and sounds rather than speech.
Q3. Who is Kuri built for, and which industries can benefit from it?
Kuri was intended for consumer households as a companion device. Mayfield Robotics positioned it for family use, including home awareness and pet monitoring, with no noted applications in commercial industries.
Q4. Is Kuri a commercial product or still a research prototype?
Kuri advanced to a commercial product stage, with prototypes exceeding 50 units developed over three years. Mayfield Robotics launched pre-orders, though production ceased in 2018.
Q5. Is Kuri currently available for purchase, and when is it expected to ship?
Kuri is discontinued as of 2018, following Mayfield Robotics' announcement to cease manufacturing. Pre-orders from 2017 were refunded, and no further shipments occurred.
Q6. How does Kuri actually work in real-world environments?
Kuri uses time-of-flight depth sensors and SLAM for autonomous navigation, mapping homes while avoiding obstacles. Onboard processing handles facial recognition, voice localization, and behaviors via Robot Operating System framework.
Q7. When was Kuri announced or officially launched?
Mayfield Robotics announced Kuri in 2017 at CES. Pre-orders began that year, backed by Bosch, but the company ceased operations and manufacturing in 2018.
Q8. How is Kuri different from other robots in the same category?
Unlike talking assistants, Kuri relies on non-verbal cues like chirps, expressive eyes, and head gestures for interaction. Its custom depth sensor enables independent home navigation without voice responses.
Q9. Does Kuri require additional development or customization after purchase?
Kuri operated with pre-installed software for core functions like navigation and app-based remote control. According to Mayfield, users programmed tasks via iOS and Android apps without needing further development.
Q10. What is the future roadmap or planned upgrades for Kuri?
No future roadmap exists, as Mayfield Robotics discontinued Kuri in 2018. The company, backed by Bosch, shifted focus after delivering initial units and issuing refunds.
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