In our country he is little known, but the eccentric Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is doing everything to fill the gap. Today the recent tourist visit in space aboard the ISS is talking about him: two years ago the titan of Japanese fashion became "viral" his worldwide appeal to find a "life partner" to take with him to none other than the Moon.
Maezawa, who was 44 at the time, wanted to find a partner to alleviate the "feelings of loneliness and emptiness." The search was then abruptly interrupted for personal reasons that the Japanese tycoon never disclosed.
Today Maezawa seems to have found another possibility to fill his sense of emptiness and that of many others: an emotional robot.
Make way for the Lovots
The Japanese investment fund headed by Maezawa (it is called Sumitomo Fudōshi Fund) is investing in groove X, a Tokyo-based robotics company that develops the Lovots. What are? Basically, emotional companion robots. A sort of crasis between Love and Robot.
The pet-sized Lovots aim to spark an “instinct for love” in their human clients. The potential is there: at least in nursing homes or other limited scenarios. According to the company's website, these “emotional” robots have seen vertical growth among Japan's pandemic-stricken population.
How they are made?
This big-eyed gadget is not a "useful robot". It has no specific purpose other than "to be loved," the company says. It goes around on wheels, and in spite of its boyish forms it is stuffed with high technology. It includes more than 50 sensors that respond to human expressions (detected by a thermal camera) and is managed by an artificial intelligence. The Lovots are currently only available on the Japanese market, at rather high costs: a "copy" costs the equivalent of almost 3000 euros, plus a monthly subscription of around 80 euros.
Announcing the acquisition of Groove X, Maezawa said he never imagined a robot would cure him. He believes that while the device “cannot clean or operate,” there is “promising potential” in an incarnation that can make people feel good.
The Japanese company grappling with robots "to love"
Lovot devices have received a lot of attention in the mental health field. There is also an increase in "kindergartens, nursery and primary schools, as well as in nursing homes". And it aims to go beyond the Japanese market, but it doesn't reveal anything about this aspect.
There is a lot of research on human-robot interaction that shows that people can form genuine emotional bonds with robots too. And this it can, of course, also be influenced by design of these machines (great responsibility, therefore, for those who develop them).
Social robots, in hindsight, are an interesting challenge and let's not hide it: dangerous. What are the boundaries to explore? When does emotional support end and when does alienation begin?
All crucial questions with an unexpected answer. Another eccentric Japanese billionaire (all eccentric?), Masayoshi Son, has been trying for years to grow Pepper, another Lovot. After ups and downs, and huge investments, his company (Softbank) has stopped production for lack of demand.
