Japanese company Yukai Engineering has a charming means to both monitor the house and help family members leave messages to each other at CES 2019-- the Bocco Emo communication robot.

The Bocco Emo looks like a snowman, and is an update of a 2015 robot from Yukai Engineering simply dubbed the Bocco. According to the company, the "Emo" in the name stands for the ability to "express empathy." How so? Apparently the robot can tell between positive and negative messages, and expresses each accordingly. The robot nods and makes happy chirping sounds with a positive message, while a negative message has it light up red, put its head down and make sad whining noises. To do so it can tell between different words, as well as interpret messages based on emoji.

The primary aim of the Bocco Emo is to keep track of family members lacking a smartphone, such as younger children or elderly relatives. To do so it pairs with up to 8 block-shaped sensors, with a choice of vibration (detects if a door is opened or closed), lock (detects a change in magnetic field when a door is locked or unlocked), motion (detects if a person is nearby) and temperature/humidity sensors. The robot also pairs with a smartphone, allowing users to receive notifications displayed on a companion app as a timeline.

Also found in the robot are a microphone and a speaker for the recording of voice messages, and internet connectivity via either wifi or SIM card. As such it might not be much of a security device, but the original Bocco does find use in Japan monitoring an increasingly elderly population, in part thanks to a partnership with home security company Secom.

The Bocco Emo arrives in the West sometime in Q3 2019.

Go Bocco Emo