Toyota Motor Corporation plans to launch sales of its cuddlesome "Kirobo Mini" communication partner, which is expected to provide companionship to the user.

Kirobo Mini robot will be available through Toyota vehicle dealers across Japan in 2017.

The nationwide rollout will be preceded by presales at designated dealers in Tokyo and Aichi Prefecture this winter, for which advanced orders will be taken online.

Kiboro Mini is tentatively priced at 39,800 yen ($392).

Kirobo Mini is a miniature communication partner developed to provide companionship. It fits in the palm of the hand and is only 10 cm high when seated. It turns its head toward the person speaking and engages in casual conversation while moving its head and hands. Its compact size means it can be taken just about anywhere, helping it to fulfill its role as a cuddly companion always on hand for heart-touching communication.

Kiboro Mini's range of gestures and conversation abilities are mainly made possible by connecting Kirobo Mini via Bluetooth to smartphones installed with a dedicated app. A built-in camera enables Kirobo Mini to recognise people's facial expressions, through which it tries to detect their emotions so that it can accordingly adjust its manner of speaking and moving.

Kirobo Mini can also converse based on information drawn from the vehicle or home.

TMC has been aiming to create automobiles that exceed customer expectations and that customers view as "irreplaceable companions". In a similar connection, Kiboro Mini is a manifestation of the Toyota Heart Project, which aims to develop a distinctly humanlike interaction between man and machine in a format different from automobiles based on the same fundamental concept of "Inspiring the Heart, Inspiring You", which Toyota applies to its automobile manufacturing.

By providing people opportunities to live with Kirobo Mini, Toyota hopes to contribute to making life and society more abundant.

Kirobo Mini will be on display at the IT and electronics exhibition "CEATEC Japan 2016 to be held at the Makuhari Messe convention centre in Chiba Prefecture from October 4 to October 7.

Kirobo Mini capabilities:
* Kirobo Mini can engage in casual conversation, backed by gestures and the ability to respond to user emotions;
* It converses while understanding what is being said to it, as well as interprets the facial expressions of the speaker. It adjusts its gestures and tone of voice to match the conversation, and, moreover, makes communication more meaningful by blinking and looking at the person speaking;
* Kirobo Mini remembers user likes and dislikes and shared travels. It is able to gradually adjust its points of conversation to make them more suitable for the user;
* It can be taken just about anywhere, with its fit-in-the-palm size and seated height of only 10 cm
* Based on information about the vehicle or home obtained through connected services, Kirobo Mini can provide more-caring comments, such as: "That was a long drive. Good job." or "Welcome home! A warm bath is waiting." - TradeArabia News Service