Ever since the astronaut robot Kirobo returned to Earth from his international space mission, we’ve been developing ways for him to assist us with innovative forms of communication to make our lives easier.

A future where humans and artificial intelligence work together

As part of the Toyota Heart Project – our vision of a future where humans and artificial intelligence work together for a better world – we have created Kirobo Mini, a new, 10cm high communication companion. He can talk to you, gesture at you, and detect and respond to your emotions, but his mission as your new portable friend doesn’t end there.
With people spending an average of 4.3 years of our lives in our cars (which equates to traveling to the moon and back three times) Toyota believes that much can be learnt about our behaviour and emotion while driving. And that’s where Kirobo Mini could help.

Cars in tune with your mood

Imagine how driving would change if Kirobo Mini’s technology was integrated into Toyota vehicles: we could assimilate hours of data to better the everyday lives of drivers all over the world, informing future innovations and developing transport that’s in tune with the driver’s mood, suggesting places to visit, routes to travel and music to listen to.
Kirobo Mini could help driving become a physically and emotionally transformative experience. After all, Kirobo’s name derives from the Japanese word for ‘hope', and we believe he’s filled with exciting possibilities…