Rob Cochrane, CEO and co-founder of Fauna Robotics, introduces Sprout to NBC News anchor Tom Llamas on Top Story and discusses the robot’s current abilities, safety, and possible future in homes.
Cochrane describes Sprout as a lightweight humanoid built in New York for settings such as offices and homes. It responds to voice commands and can walk, crawl, sit, wave, recognize people, and hold conversations.
Cochrane says Sprout is currently a developer platform for companies, with applications still being built. In the interview, Sprout answers questions, recommends meals and family movies, and offers to guide a game, though it cannot yet move game pieces. Its battery runs for about three hours and takes an hour to recharge.
Cochrane says Sprout balances itself using internally developed motor coordination and can adjust gently when pushed or moved by the hand. It responds after a wake word, and Cochrane says it can remain engaged with conversation while users choose whether it is active. He also says Sprout can form memories, such as remembering its planned studio visit.
Cochrane says Sprout is a research device and is not ready for households; the team is working on AI that can provide useful abilities while addressing risks at home. He hopes home availability may come in a few years. He estimates prices could reach the low thousands at scale, with production growing from hundreds of units to thousands.
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Rob Cochran, co-founder of Fauna Robotics, discusses the Sprout developer robot with Automated host Brian Heater, covering its design, customers, software, and path toward broader use.
