Qihan launches the Sanbot Nano home robot with Alexa built-in
Chinese technology firm Quihan has launched a humanoid robot for use in the home, incorporating Amazon's voice-controlled personal assistant, Alexa. The Sanbot Nano robot is 2.7 foot high and will retail for $2,800. It is equipped with 50 sensors to help it avoid obstacles, process voice commands and detect when someone enters a room. Quihan has previously developed humanoid robots for use in the workplace, such as the Sanbot Elf, which was used by police in Dubai to interview potential recruits. The global market for personal robots is expected to grow to $34.1bn by 2022.
An Amazon Alexa-powered humanoid robot could be wheeling its way to a home near you.



Chinese technology firm Qihan launched the Sanbot Nano on Thursday equipped with Amazon's voice assistant that is featured in its Echo speaker.



The 2.7 foot robot will go on sale in October for $2,800, and will be available in English and German. Those are the languages that Alexa currently understands.



Qihan's Sanbot Nano is equipped with 50 sensors that helps it avoid obstacles, hear voices, and recognize when someone enters the room.



Users can access all the features that Alexa enables such as controlling lights in the home or ordering pizza.



Amazon first introduced Alexa on its Echo smart speaker in 2014. But the e-commerce giant's strategy has been to license Alexa out to other vendors to get the voice assistant across several devices and even home appliances.



This is Qihan's first robot designed for the home. The company's previous humanoid models have been put to use in businesses. For example, the Sanbot Elf was used by the Dubai Police to interview potential candidates.



"Sanbot Nano's customized capabilities will make every family feel like they have a personal assistant," Ryan Yu, chief marketing officer at Qihan, said in a press release on Thursday.



Qihan is playing in an increasingly competitive but young market of humanoid robots that could grow quickly. The global personal robots market is expected to see average yearly growth of 37.8 percent between 2017 and 2022, reaching $34.1 billion in size, according to Research and Markets data.



Robots are slowly being trialed in sectors such as hospitality and policing, but are yet to take off in the home. Other competitors like SoftBank with its Pepper robot are also trying to crack the market.