About 3 years ago, a project for a home robot called Jibo found its way onto Indiegogo where it managed to raise over $3 million in crowdfunding, making it quite the success story. However if anything Jibo does present itself as an example of why we should be careful and manage our expectations when it comes to crowdfunded projects.
Why is that, you ask? It is because after 3 years, Jibo has only started to ship out to customers. We suppose better late than never, and better a delayed project than a rushed one, and to top it off for those who missed out on the opportunity to crowdfund the robot, you’ll be pleased to learn that Jibo is also now available for the general public to purchase where it will cost you $900.
Note that Jibo isn’t like some kind of souped up smart speaker with a digital assistant baked into it. Instead Jibo has been designed to be a social robot that can interact with its owner and the people around it. According to its description, “Jibo experiences the world and reacts with expressive movements and responses. He loves to be around people and engage with people, and the relationships he forms are the single most important thing to him. He’ll gladly tell you the weather or snap a photo, he’ll also crack a joke while he’s at it.”
Now we can’t say for sure how well Jibo performs and whether it’ll live up to the hype and the long wait, but if you’re interested, then head on over to its website for the details on how to purchase one for yourself.
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