I have a little boy who just turned four. He has been passionate about robots since he was 18 months old, and from the age of two he started wanting to watch videos of “vintage” metal robots on YouTube. But mechanical toys get boring after a while, so I started looking for videos of real robots. One of the best I came across was from a company called Aldebaran Robotics. Their NAO robots are adorable, they move around like human people and are able to hold a conversation with each other. My son loves them.
A few months ago, our CEO Bertrand Sicot told me that he was going to Paris to visit this company, and he explained to me that it was a client. I was happy to hear this news, and it was only some time later that Marie Planchard told me that she would be presenting this same company on the occasion of SolidWorks World 2012. You may have already seen this presentation on our YouTube channel.
What is most interesting about the Aldebaran company is that it has partnered with a number of schools and researchers to find a way to use robots in a therapeutic setting. For example, she works with a group that uses robots as part of the treatment of children with autism. In some cases, it is easier for autistic children to communicate with robots than with people, especially because of the predictability of their responses, their harmlessness and the reassuring side of repetitive actions.
Shortly after this presentation during SolidWorks World, I spoke for a few moments with Bruno Maisonnier, the founder of the company. We talked about her company, the mission she fulfills (and I also took the opportunity to tell her that my son absolutely wants me to buy him one of his robots). It’s that conversation you can see here. How do you see the future of robotics? Leave us your comments in the section below.
Matt west