The versatile humanoid robot Nao caught Gizmag’s attention at the 2009 International Robot Exhibition (iREX 2009). What Nao lacks in size, he makes up for in characteristics and capabilities. Nao can see (via two cameras), will react to touch, can surf the Web and can interact with other Naos. He can speak (in English or French, so far) by reading out any file stored locally in his storage space or captured from a web site RSS flow. The bot is fitted with an accelerometer and gyrometer so he won’t fall down, he’s also equipped with two pairs of ultra-sound senders/receivers on his torso that give feedback on various echoes so Nao is aware of obstacles close by and can prevent them.
Nao’s vision is provided by two CMOS 640 x 480 cameras, which can capture up to 30 images per second. A single is positioned on his forehead, aimed at Nao’s horizon, whilst the second camera is placed at mouth level to scan Nao’s immediate atmosphere. And Nao’s software even lets you recover photos and video stream of his vision.