Mobile home security robot Orbii claims to do something other smart home security systems can’t do: roam around your house, making sure no one is a threat to your home’s security.
It will sense sound and motion, using a map of your home to navigate and of course alert you if it discovers any unusual activity
We spoke to founder Ozair Barlas to find out more about the product and to find out how he views the future of robotics.
Where did the idea for Orbii come from?
I was shopping for an IP camera for my apartment, and suddenly realised that I need to set up multiple cameras for my home, and there was no mobile driveable camera solution available on the market. I found this really surprising so started working on an idea for Orbii.
Where do you think personal robots are heading?
We are already living in a digital world where devices are more intelligent and can make decisions based on inputs from other sensors and other devices on the network, but the problem is cross-device compatibility, i.e. user buy some smart home devices.
When customers buy a security camera, they quickly realise that not all devices are compatible with their phone, nor can they communicate with other smart devices in home, which makes user life more difficult.
With Orbii we are trying to make as much cross-compatibility as possible, so Orbii can make its own decisions based on other devices/sensors data already operating in the home.
Which countries and companies are pushing the idea of personal robots forward?
I think the USA is the largest market for personal robots, followed by the UK.
How will the personal robot industry evolve in the next five years?
I think that at least 15 per cent of homes in the USA and UK will have intelligent personal robots within next five years. They could be social robots, security robots or other robots that make life easier, more secure and more efficient.
What do you think are the key barriers to robots becoming mainstream?
At the moment, I don’t think it’s very easy to set up robots in the home. This deters people from using them. There are also privacy and security concerns, because everything’s usually connected to the same network, making it easier for hackers to break into one network and use these robots to access lots of information about users.
Also, I think although natural user interaction would make things easier to use, currently personal robots are hard to setup and operate.
Orbii has managed to raise $43,634 in its Indiegogo campaign, smashing its target by 24 per cent. Although the campaign has ended now, you can still snap one up for the heavily discounted price of $199.
Orbii is due to launch worldwide from in the first quarter of 2017.
