Sharp RoBoHoN: a cute humanoid robot smartphone you will want to buy

Sharp’s newly announced RoBoHoN seems like a gadget coming straight out of those April Fool’s Day pranks. And so after giving myself a few slaps in the face and checking multiple calendars, I realized it was just October 6th and kept looking around for more signs of this being some kind of joke… only to find out there were none.

The RoBoHoN seems to be real, and it may be the closest thing to an actual “android”, at least in the consumer market. It’s a bipedal, humanoid robot that works as a smartphone and digital assistant. Of course, it can be used for mundane tasks like making calls and sending emails, but the robot can do much more. All while looking amazingly cute.

As you can see in the video, setting alarms, scheduling reminders and calling cabs is only a phrase away with the RoBoHoN. The system can intelligently recognize your voice and act in accordance. It’s also possible for the unit to use its camera for taking pictures, and the best part is that it needs no camera man. This little robot can move around, so it does it all on its own!

Oh, and about moving around – RoBoHoN can walk, squat and more. This makes its built-in projector an awesome tool, as the android can intelligently point its content at any surface or wall with a few commands.

If all of that was not enough, you also get a tiny 2-inch QVGA (320×240) display for when voice commands are just not enough. Of course, the idea is not to use this as a full fledged smartphone, which is why so little importance was focused on the display. It’s all about that human-like interaction.

The RoBoHoN measures about 19.5 cm in eight and weighs in at about 390 grams. It’s no small product, but it is still mobile, as it does sport 3G, LTE and WiFi antennas. Packed inside you will also find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC.

And while Sharp made no mention of it, the device does seem to run Android. It’s home and back UI buttons look identical to those in Android, and the notification bar is reminiscent of Google’s mobile OS. It would be a heavily modified version, though.

Don’t you all just want to buy this thing right away?! My poor little heart continues to melt as I realize I probably have no need for this thing. But then again, that has never stopped me in the past. Those interested will have to wait until the first half of 2016, which is when the official release is scheduled to be. There’s no mention of a price point… or global availability. Be sure we will let you know as soon as we learn more, though.