Kata Friends went on sale in Japan today as a preorder for 129,800 JPY or about US$845. SwitchBot are offering a free subscription for six months on purchases made between the 30th of January and the 27th of March. Shipping is expected to begin in mid February.
There is a “main unit fee” and “subscription plan fee” required on purchase. You can choose to purchase the lifetime software subscription plan on new purchases for about US$640 on top of the main unit price of about US$845 for a total of about US$1500. Or you can go with another subscription option or even just purchase the unit on its own initially and buy the subscription later through the app.
You then have the option of purchasing the full support plan later for repair support or paying for repairs separately through a mechanical or cosmetic maintenance service/plan.
Subscription plans are available in these main categories:
• Lifetime software services
• Basic software services
• Software services and repair support
• Repair support only
• Basic gives you access to the AI and software updates. The basic subscription plan costs about US$130 annually. Repair support is paid separately if you choose the basic plan.
• Full support gives you access to the AI and software updates, plus subsidised repair support. The full support subscription seems to cost around US$450 annually.
• Lifetime software services. The lifetime software subscription can only be purchased at checkout on new purchases and is about US$640. This gives you access to the software services and software updates forever.
• Without a subscription plan for AI and software services, Kata will go into a dormant state and be unusable. You get a 15 day free trial then must subscribe to a subscription plan to continue using.
• Repair support. A repair service is available for ongoing mechanical maintenance as well as a body refreshment service that replaces the fur and cleans the robot on your behalf.
• Repair maintenance costs about US$230 with the full support plan and about US$325 without.
• Cosmetic maintenance costs about US$60 with the full support plan and about US$85 without.
• All AI is on-device, and never relies on the network environment.
• Multimodal perception allows it to understand multiple pieces of information such as sound, vision and touch.
• 12 touch sensors are embedded under its fur.
• Understands casual chatter and specific phrases.
• Can recognise hand gestures.
• Understands your behaviour. When you are sitting alone it will come over to cheer you up.
• Recognises emotions such as joy or sadness from your words.
• Personality is shaped depending on the style of interaction. Can remember how different individuals treat it by remembering faces.
There is a “main unit fee” and “subscription plan fee” required on purchase. You can choose to purchase the lifetime software subscription plan on new purchases for about US$640 on top of the main unit price of about US$845 for a total of about US$1500. Or you can go with another subscription option or even just purchase the unit on its own initially and buy the subscription later through the app.
You then have the option of purchasing the full support plan later for repair support or paying for repairs separately through a mechanical or cosmetic maintenance service/plan.
Subscription plans are available in these main categories:
• Lifetime software services
• Basic software services
• Software services and repair support
• Repair support only
• Basic gives you access to the AI and software updates. The basic subscription plan costs about US$130 annually. Repair support is paid separately if you choose the basic plan.
• Full support gives you access to the AI and software updates, plus subsidised repair support. The full support subscription seems to cost around US$450 annually.
• Lifetime software services. The lifetime software subscription can only be purchased at checkout on new purchases and is about US$640. This gives you access to the software services and software updates forever.
• Without a subscription plan for AI and software services, Kata will go into a dormant state and be unusable. You get a 15 day free trial then must subscribe to a subscription plan to continue using.
• Repair support. A repair service is available for ongoing mechanical maintenance as well as a body refreshment service that replaces the fur and cleans the robot on your behalf.
• Repair maintenance costs about US$230 with the full support plan and about US$325 without.
• Cosmetic maintenance costs about US$60 with the full support plan and about US$85 without.
• All AI is on-device, and never relies on the network environment.
• Multimodal perception allows it to understand multiple pieces of information such as sound, vision and touch.
• 12 touch sensors are embedded under its fur.
• Understands casual chatter and specific phrases.
• Can recognise hand gestures.
• Understands your behaviour. When you are sitting alone it will come over to cheer you up.
• Recognises emotions such as joy or sadness from your words.
• Personality is shaped depending on the style of interaction. Can remember how different individuals treat it by remembering faces.
