Professor Einstein rolls his eyes, sticks out his tongue, and can give a simple explanation of the theory of relativity. With his lifelike rubbery "skin" and bushy mustache, he can almost make you forget he's a robot.
The Einstein robot is among dozens roaming the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that can be your companion, educator or babysit your children.
While robots have been around for years, advances in technology and artificial intelligence have allowed developers to give them traits that enable the devices to be seen as members of the family.
"We make robots that have personality and come to life," said Andy Rifkin, chief technology officer of Hanson Robotics, the Hong Kong-based firm which is bringing the $299 Einstein robot to consumers this year.
Einstein is the first commercial product from Hanson, which became known for producing humanoid robots like the flirtatious "Sophia," which has life-like facial and eye expressions and can converse through cloud-based artificial intelligence.
Einstein, which is knee-high and responds to voice commands, can help kids with their homework, play games and answer questions about math and science.
"This is different from other robots," said Rifkin, who noted that the "emotional bond" can be an important element in helping kids learn.
Most other robots at CES look like the mechanical objects people expect from science fiction, but many have personality too.
Kuri, a knee-high rolling robot set to hit the US market, is touted as a home companion which can entertain kids and allow users to monitor their homes through a smartphone application.
"You have to make an effort to give a robot personality and character, otherwise it's too cold," said Mayfield Robotics chief executive Michael Beebe.
Kuri learns to recognise family members and can notify its owners through a smartphone when a child arrives home. Kuri "speaks only robot" - meaning beeps and bloops, according to Beebe - but also offers a range of emotional expressions by rolling her head and moving her eyes. She can also play music to recorded sound, which Beebe uses to tell the robot to tell his dog to get off the couch.
AvatarMind, a robotics firm with offices in China and California, used CES to showcase its soon-to-be-released iPal "social robot" which can play games, converse in natural language, sing songs and monitor home security.
A little taller than one meter (3.5 feet), iPal can self-navigate and use its arms while singing or dancing.
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