Paolo Pirjanian

Socially and emotionally intelligent robots pose an incredible opportunity not only for the market, but for our loved ones young and old. Embodied has built an advanced social interface that enables human-like interaction: changes in the intonation of voice, smiling, reading body language and eye contact, and more without long, awkward pauses or the need for the use of constant wake words.

Moxie the robot has helped neurodivergent and neurotypical children with social, emotional and cognitive development. This includes specific content modules and conversations around making mistakes, reading, emotional regulation and recognition, making friends, and more. It has the ability to recognize progress and understanding of topics, and can prompt children when it detects the child could benefit from further development in an area. Moxie is also able to respond with eye contact and gesticulate with its arms, making for a more believable, personal experience.

This framework is being applied to service additional populations, including senior citizens, adults with mental illnesses, neurodivergent adults, people experiencing loneliness, and more. Dr. Pirjanian will explain the considerations and developments going into this new iteration and offer an onstage demonstration.

Fundraising for robotics companies more challenging compared to other sectors and technologies. This panel will bring together investors and roboticists to discuss the challenges and opportunities of raising money for your robotics company. This panel will discuss the current state of robotics investments, how things have changed and what to expect in the future.