At the mention of a robot, we think of a machine that does work for us. Not this robot, though. Eilik is an interactive desktop companion. Its job is to spice up your otherwise boring desk.
Eilik is a new kind of robot that dabbles in emotions – something which most robots don’t do. Like a regular person, Eilik has four emotional states. He can be neutral, happy, angry, and sad. Thankfully, being emo isn’t one of them.
Each emotion further has a wide range of reactions and expressions. And he will react to your touch too. It has a touch sensor on its belly, head, and ermmm, bum bum. I know. It is not the most appropriate place to touch anything but it is what it is.
How this little fellow reacts, depends on where and how you touch it. For example, padding the head makes him feel loved and happy, and hitting it invites a different reaction. Eilik is a sensitive robot. It reacts to vibrations too, like a major bang on the table scares him shitless and he is most definitely not thrilled with height.
He can repeat what you say in a funny way – much like how Minions talk and even match your lip movements as he does so. Eilik can entertain itself to entertain you. He sometimes enjoys handling (virtual) firearms, dancing to music, bouncing a (virtual) basketball around, and more. You can also play games with him too.
Eilik is not just entertaining. He is a useful tool too. It can serve as a countdown timer, as well as a Pomodoro timer.
Eilik has a super cute form with a 25 fps OLED screen that displays a myriad of animated expressions.
And did we mention that he loves to play with another Eilik? When connected to each other (physically), the two will interact with each other. They can build relationships, fight, and have a cold one together. Virtually, of course.
If you are sold by what this little desktop companion robot has to offer, you may want to consider picking it up as a pre-order on Indiegogo InDemand. The asking price is 930 Hong Kong dollars a pop, or about US$119. I believe it is ready to ship as we speak.
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All images courtesy of EngerizeLab.
