An official City Walk of WAIC, experiencing the "temperature" of AI in advance.

Author: Lian Ran

Header image source: generated by chatgpt

The annual WAIC is set to begin tomorrow. Before the official start, I followed the official city walk route for a visit.

The "AI + Smart Living Route" I explored has three destinations: Shanghai Fanuc Robotics Co., Ltd., Shanghai Tencent Binhai Building, and the Smart Product Experience Center of Mosu Space.

The most appealing place to me was the third location—the Smart Product Experience Center of Mosu Space, which showcased many fun products. Not only were there items that looked very high-tech, but more importantly, there were products that could truly integrate into daily life and solve minor pain points.

Smart Cupping Device | Image source: Geek Park

For example, the smart cupping device, an ancient Chinese therapy method, has become precise and convenient with the support of AI.

Smart Cycling Platform | Image source: Geek Park

Electric-assisted smart bicycle, looks much lighter than an electric vehicle | Image source: Geek Park

There were also electric-assisted bicycles and smart cycling platforms that provide the most appropriate assistance to users when needed, making cycling a more enjoyable experience.

Even more fun was the air drum set. Just pick up the drumsticks and swing them in the air to hear real drum beats.

Air drum set | Image source: Geek Park

I tested it out, and while it can't be said to perfectly replicate the experience, the instant feedback of turning imagination into reality truly showed me new possibilities for AI in entertainment tools.

No need to buy a bulky and heavy drum set available on the market; for just 210 yuan, you can take home this 260-gram product and start your drumming journey anytime.

Smart Ring | Image source: Geek Park

Mosu Space also featured many well-known products, including smart glasses and smart rings—this year saw a "battle of hundreds of glasses" in the market, with big companies and startups all joining in…

AI Pet Zone | Image source: Geek Park

But on this day, the stars were not them. What attracted me more was this row of AI pets. Because I have been wavering between getting a pet or not, I started paying attention to AI pets early on.

Seeing this row of products reminded me of a podcast interview I did with Sun Zhaozhi, the founder of Luobo Intelligent, the company behind fuzozo. In the podcast, Sun mentioned that by this time next year, 90% of AI companionship products might be gone.

So let's see which of these products on display will emerge as winners a year from now?

AI Cat and Dog | Image source: Geek Park

The two in the picture are AI smart simulation cats and dogs launched by Elephant Robotics, priced at 999 yuan, which is not a high barrier to entry. Unfortunately, the little cat has already run out of battery from being "petted" by everyone.

I only interacted with the little dog briefly; the interaction felt a bit unresponsive and had some delay—petting its head would make it bark, blink, and wag its tail, but it couldn't move. How can a dog not run or jump? Of course, if you want to add running and jumping capabilities, the cost would rise significantly, likely exceeding a thousand yuan.

Pet Companion Robot, not only does the robot need to accompany people, but it also needs to interact with pets | Image source: Geek Park

Pet Interaction Robot, not only does the robot need to interact with people, but it also needs to interact with pets | Image source: Geek Park

Next, I saw three "star players," which I have been following: EMO and Eilik. These three products have been on the market for a while and are capable of moving around.

Desktop Robot EMO | Image source: Geek Park

EMO is a desktop AI robotic pet developed by Living AI. Its design, movements, and reactions are very cute.

EMO is equipped with various sensors and technologies, allowing it to interact with users through over 1,000 facial expressions and movements.

With a high-definition camera, EMO can recognize users; as soon as a user speaks, the four microphones on its head can accurately locate the user's direction. Users can also give it a "head pat," and the sensors on its head can feel your touch, responding with adorable movements and sounds.

Of course, it also serves as a competent "smart housekeeper," capable of waking users up and helping to turn lights on and off.

EMO | Image source: LivingAI

Moreover, EMO behaves like a real pet that can "grow." Its built-in system continuously learns, and over time, it becomes more attuned to the user's habits, even developing its own little personality. Its powerful emotional engine allows it to show different things to users based on various holidays and scenarios. For example, during Christmas, it will wear a Santa hat; on a birthday, it will prepare little surprises.

Desktop Robot Eilik | Image source: Geek Park

Eilik, developed by Energize Lab, is a desktop robot full of personality and emotion.

Through rich facial expressions and natural touch interactions, Eilik can display real emotions, allowing users to feel its joys and sorrows. It is also sensitive to vibrations, becoming scared from knocks on the table and dizzy from gentle pats on the head, even having a fear of heights—these details make it seem more real and lively.

Image source: energizelab

In addition to emotional interaction, Eilik is also a powerful assistant. It can switch sides, dance to music, chat, set timers, and even play shooting games.

This product has been on my radar for a while; compared to the square-shaped Looi mentioned below, this round-headed design feels cuter.

Looi, the staff said this one has relatively more complete functions among all the desktop AI robots on the table | Image source: looi

One of the obvious differences between the Looi desktop robot and the previously mentioned products is its split design—an intelligent smartphone attaches magnetically to the base, forming the robot.

Just place the smartphone on Looi's mobile base with a magnetic "snap," and instantly, the user's phone becomes its face, brain, and eyes. Looi not only has a bionic behavior system but also integrates ChatGPT technology, enabling natural language processing and showcasing personality and independent thinking abilities.

Looi's daily performance is also full of life. Simple gestures can interact with it, and it reacts based on the user's emotions and the surrounding environment; it has a wide range of expressions and rich body language. Even if the user is too busy to pay attention, it can entertain itself on the table, ensuring there's never a dull moment. At the same time, it has "eyes," allowing it to deftly avoid obstacles and sense the edge of the table to prevent itself from accidentally "falling off a cliff."

Additionally, Looi is a 3-in-1 desktop assistant, serving as a phone stand, personal tracking camera, and even supporting 15W wireless phone charging. It can automatically track the user's movements and record videos, making it perfect for recording speeches or taking photos with friends. Furthermore, Looi supports immersive motion-sensing games.

For just 1,299 yuan, you can take home a 3-in-1 AI desktop pet.

Finally, my attention was drawn to this self-playing piano. I was watching the staff demonstrate Looi when I suddenly heard piano music. Turning around, I saw that there was no one on the piano bench; the piano was playing by itself.

Just open the program, and the keys will start striking themselves, flowing smoothly. Of course, this feature is more for demonstration, primarily showcasing AI's assistance in practicing piano—AI companionship, real-time error correction.

Find Smart Piano | Image source: find Taobao store

This visit made me feel that AI hardware products are increasingly integrating into daily life, not just as novel concepts but focusing more on the practicality and implementation of products in specific scenarios.

Especially these desktop AI robots, which do not showcase bizarre "show-off" technology but combine practicality and fun in their design, can seamlessly integrate into daily life—whether placed on a home desk or an office desk, they are very close to the core of everyday life.

With all the interesting products in one exhibition hall, I am even more looking forward to the WAIC conference officially opening tomorrow.

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