The first, currently called 3E-A18, is designed to be a computerized companion that can respond to a host of human emotions with its own facial expressions. Ands as such, it is similar in scope at least to the Toyota Kirobo Mini, a little robot that fits in your hand and keeps you company throughout the day, which is currently on sale in Japan.
Meanwhile, 3E-B18B is an automated moving chair that can be used indoors and outdoors, while carrying 3E-A18.
The remaining concepts are both takes on autonomous vehicles, with 3E-C18 offering the ability to transport different types of cargo, while the quad-bike-inspired 3E-D18 is an off- and on-road autonomous vehicle embedded with AI designed to understand and help people working in a host of occupations.
Although likely to appear as a motley crew when they’re unveiled together on January 9, Honda says that the theme uniting these very different robots is that they can each in some way bring to life the company’s vision of “a society where robotics and AI can assist people in many situations, such as disaster recovery, recreation and learning from human interaction to become more helpful and empathetic.”
Indeed, the 3E name derives from the fact that the concepts are focused on Empowerment, Experience, and Empathy.
The 2018 International CES takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada and will run January 9-12.