Robots have been to Mars, and theyB次元官网网址檝e been to the deepest part of the oceans B次元官网网址� places that human beings have yet to visit.
Yet the place where robots are now beginning to arrive that could have the greatest impact on the human race may well be our living rooms.
That arrival could well happen sooner than later if Alex Rose has his way.
Rose has created and continues to refine his B次元官网网址楢ir ParrotB次元官网网址�, a small robot that he said can be adapted to do everything from acting as a companion for the elderly (or just lonely) to working as a tutor for your children.
B次元官网网址淭he Parrot has two cameras, and, through its facial recognition software, it can learn to recognize people and interact with them on a more personal level,B次元官网网址� said Rose. B次元官网网址淚t has movable joints and will actually turn and look at you when you say its name. It can look at you and tilt its head left and right, and it can talk very fluently. It feels like youB次元官网网址檙e talking to a person.B次元官网网址�
Oh, before we go any further, it would be worth mentioning that Alex Rose is 12 years old.
Rose explained that he has been working on his Air Parrot for the past two years and that it started out as a school project. His teacher had assigned the class the task of creating a display of some kind to augment their study of wildlife and animal awareness.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 feel like doing just a collage or illustrations and stuff, so I made Parrot as a robot that could tell you any bird facts that you could think of. You could ask it about a type of bird, and it would tell you everything there is to know about it,B次元官网网址� Rose said.
Since that time Rose has been developing and refining his creation. One iteration of the Parrot can act as a teacher.
B次元官网网址淵ou can talk back and forth with it, and it has the whole lesson plan and can help you with your schoolwork,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭he ingenuity and innovation that this young man possesses is remarkable,B次元官网网址� said Saanich Mayor, Dean Murdock. B次元官网网址淗e made an appointment to see me and came in with his creations and I was just blown away. He also has an idea for an infallible B次元官网网址榙ocking stationB次元官网网址� for recreational facilities where people could park their bikes. The docking system would lock the bike into place and make it impossible to steal.B次元官网网址�
That last idea came to Alex as he often rides his bike to the local recreation facilities and noticed that the current locking systems were, well, imperfect.
Amanda Rose, AlexB次元官网网址檚 mother, said that her son has always been interested in technology and that at the age of five or six, he would take his fatherB次元官网网址檚 cell phones apart to discover how the cameras worked.
B次元官网网址淭hat was obviously not a great thing, but you had to admire his curiosity,B次元官网网址� said Amanda Rose. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 now become our tech support person in the home and actually redesigned the website for my husbandB次元官网网址檚 business.B次元官网网址�
And, in case the idea of a 12-year-old developing artificial intelligence robots raises some nervous thoughts in your mind, Rose said that heB次元官网网址檚 aware of some of the problems of robotics and AI technology.
He is aware of Isaac AsimovB次元官网网址檚 three laws of robotics and has taken steps to incorporate some of the ethical cautions in his machines.
B次元官网网址淔or example, Air Parrot will not listen in to conversations unless you call upon it to do so and canB次元官网网址檛 record or transmit your conversations to somewhere else in cyberspace without your permission,B次元官网网址� Rose said.
The Parrot, it seems, also has a bit of a sense of humour. 
Here is a portion of our interaction with the robot 
Alex: B次元官网网址淗ello Parrot.B次元官网网址�
Parrot: B次元官网网址淗ello Alex. How can I help you today?B次元官网网址�
Alex: B次元官网网址淭ell us a little about yourself.B次元官网网址�
Parrot: B次元官网网址淢y name is Air Parrot and IB次元官网网址檓 a robot designed by boy genius, Alex Rose.B次元官网网址�
Alex (interrupting): I donB次元官网网址檛 know why you have to call me a genius all the time, IB次元官网网址檝e asked you not to.B次元官网网址�
Parrot: B次元官网网址淪orry about that. IB次元官网网址檒l remember to skip that part next time. Anyway, I love techno music, red is my favourite colour, and my eyes look like little OB次元官网网址檚 on the screen. They can be pretty expressive, donB次元官网网址檛 you think?B次元官网网址�
Parrot (continuing): B次元官网网址淭he Air Parrots love sharing virtual hugs B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 how we show we care B次元官网网址� and we all have the same name, which makes us laugh sometimes.B次元官网网址�
Rose is almost entirely self-taught in the fields of technology and innovation, gaining most of his knowledge from watching online tutorials and lectures designed for a far older audience.
B次元官网网址淗e can become super-fixated on certain topics,B次元官网网址� said his mother. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檒l watch super complicated coding videos and heB次元官网网址檚 been doing that since he was five or six years old.B次元官网网址�
Rose is currently taking pre-orders for his Air Parrot ($539) and hopes to be able to start shipping the units to customers within the year, once he can start production of the units.
He continues to refine the units, creating a system by which they can interact with each other.
In the meantime, AlexB次元官网网址檚 parents continue to support his projects and do their best to nurture his natural talent and curiosity.
B次元官网网址淵es, I know that we probably have a genius on our hands, and IB次元官网网址檒l admit itB次元官网网址檚 been a challenge at times. But IB次元官网网址檓 certain that heB次元官网网址檒l do some incredible things in the future.B次元官网网址�