Introduction of Cozmo the Little Robot
This small robot, about ten centimeters tall (and yes, it is “really” very small), is composed of an LCD screen, a robotic arm, and a track system. We also discovered that Cozmo has a camera just below the screen and a speaker. On its back, there is a 3-LED display.
In the box, you will find the robot’s charging base, the quick start manual, and 3 interactive cubes to play with it.
Manufacturing-wise, it’s ultra-high-end. Not a single hiccup or defect. Everything is down to the micron.
GETTING STARTED
Don’t expect to turn on Cozmo with a simple button. You’ll have to use your smartphone or a tablet, preferably a recent one; otherwise, you might not be able to get it to work. So, go to the Play Store and search for the Cozmo app.
Once done, you need to plug the search base into a smartphone transformer or a PC USB and place the robot on it. (And yes, even at this price, the transformer is not included.)
On your smartphone, exit the default Wi-Fi and search for Cozmo’s open Wi-Fi. Of course, you connect to it.
Come on, all that’s left is to launch the program, wait for everyone to synchronize, and the little robot’s screen to finally reveal its eyes.
Your smartphone serves as the basis for this robotics. It’s the tablet’s software and memory that power the whole thing.
YOUR FIRST CONTACT
A PIXAR employee created Cozmo’s interactions. From the first second, we immediately understood that it was a mix between Wall-E’s shell and Eve’s language. 100%.
So when he wakes up, the first thing to do is to present yourself in front of him and use the tablet program to have him scan you. This will allow him to recognize you (and several other people)…… Or not! Thanks to this, he now knows your name and your face.
You place the 3 cubes in front of him, and very quickly he will start to take them and stack them, move them, turn in circles.
If you don’t do more, neither does he. Cozmo’s daily life without other interactions is limited to moving a few centimeters on the table, searching for his blocks, stacking them, or moving them. That’s all.
So, of course, we want to know if now that he knows you, he will be able to identify you.
LEARNING
So yes, the brochure tells you that Cozmo is capable of learning. You probably guessed that he wasn’t
In fact, Cozmo will reveal to you what the programmers have already planned for him from the start, but little by little, to prolong the suspense and the life of the game. It is not by watching you that he will learn things, of course.
So, to unlock new tricks, you need to spend shards. Shards are a kind of virtual currency that you generate by using the robot. If you spend enough time with it or let it stack enough cubes, it can generate a few shards per day.
Then we spend the shards to teach him things: Push a cube. Turn over a cube. Tap a cube. Line up the cubes.
So, what if you don’t want to do anything with the cubes, you might ask? Well, you return the robot to the store, because Cozmo = Cubes.
THE GAMES
Cozmo basically knows a few games, like:
– a memory game: You must repeat the light sequences of the cubes without making a mistake
– A reflex game: You have to tap colored cubes before Cozmo does.
– An attack game: You must bring a cube close to Cozmo and remove it just before Cozmo jumps on it.
But you can also teach him new ones at a rate of about one every 4 days.
IMPRESSIONS IN USE
Let’s be honest, Cozmo is adorable. His cute face and his way of communicating like a 2-year-old make him instantly likable.
We marvel at seeing him do his first tricks, move his first cubes, or get to know you.
His ultra-expressive little eyes are one of the ways we love Cozmo, that’s for sure, and we have a blast with him for a good week.
AND IN TIME?
The flan deflates pretty quickly, in fact. The fact that everything happens via cubes, that without a tablet or smartphone, cozmo is an inactive shell, and that the learning process is crudely simulated becomes tiresome after a while.
Okay, he plays with blocks, but it’s still pretty repetitive. When Cozmo wants to play, it’s the same old thing over and over again.
I tested it by leaving it running in a room surrounded by its 3 cubes. 10 minutes later, it is still stacking its two cubes. 20 minutes later, it is still in the same place and still stacking its same 2 cubes. Cozmo should have been a little more curious, and a little more wandering.
Around me, we are practically all unanimous: Cozmo is a toy, very technically sophisticated, which will be used intensely for a week, from time to time during the following 15 days, then left at the top of the cupboard the rest of the time.
Conclusion
If you’re curious about everything robotics, have a super flexible monthly budget, and always have a comfortable end-of-month, then Cosmo is for you.
If you’re a tech fan but find programming a breeze, and you’re sometimes struggling to make ends meet, then keep your budget intact and wait a little longer. New things could be coming soon, and for less.
