Google has filed a patent recently that leads to the speculation that some time down the road, there will be mechanical toys. These unique toys will feature built-in microphones that will be working all the time, trying to listen for spoken cues. Google X, the experimental arm of Google, has just filed this patent this week, and it could very well end up as the most odd project to date. After all, an entire range of Internet-connected stuffed animals that might be able to help you control appliances in the home, and yet maintain eye contact with the little ones? Sounds like a winner.
No doubt there will be some of us out there who will claim that this is similar in nature to Amazon’s Echo home speaker/information hub. The potential of having Google toys that are activated by a spoken word or phrase is certainly an interesting one, as the patent did mention that it will attempt to have the toy “aim its gaze at the source of the social cue.”
Integrated motors mean that these toys are able to physically open their eyes as well as their heads in the direction of the person who is delivering the command. Embedded speakers will allow such toys to verbally respond to the user, as well as the ability to mimic emotions. Sounds like Furby is going to have a pretty strong competitor in the coming holiday seasons.
Filed in . Read more about Google and Patent. Source: csmonitor