LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- After winning Best of Innovation for the Smart Home category at CES in 2018, followed by 12 months of in-home beta testing, Intuition Robotics, provider of digital companion technologies, today announced:  

• Availability of social companion ElliQ® for pre-order at www.elliq.com
• Launch of its cognitive AI Platform 'Q', making its agent technology available to 3rd-party hardware companies
• Design win from Toyota Research Institute for its Platform 'Q' to collaborate on an in-car companion agent
• Company expansion

Intuition Robotics' first product, ElliQ, an AI-powered social companion robot for older adults, won the coveted CES "Best of Innovation" award in the Smart Home category in January 2018. ElliQ successfully completed beta testing with seniors aged 62-97 in the Bay Area this past year.

At CES, Intuition Robotics is announcing that ElliQ is available for pre-order, subject to limited availability with an expected shipping date of summer 2019. ElliQ encourages a connected, active and engaged lifestyle for older adults while making technology accessible and intuitive to use.

The company is also launching Platform 'Q', a cognitive AI platform that brings third-party devices to life by incorporating its proprietary digital companion agent. The launch of 'Q' signifies a new era for Intuition Robotics, marking a significant expansion beyond its own branded social robot for older adults, into various sectors, via partners. Until this point, AI has existed in the form of voice assistants. Now, the industry is ready for a new frontier of cognitive technology — digital companions that aren't only utilitarian and command based, but that integrate seamlessly into our lives. This allows the creation of a bi-directional interaction which is proactive, context aware and multi-modal. Intuition Robotics has established itself as the industry vanguard, setting the stage for adoption of digital companions and cognitive AI technology. 

Intuition Robotics' landed its first customer for 'Q' with a design win from Toyota Research Institute (TRI) to collaborate on an in-car companion agent. Intuition Robotics will work with TRI to create an experience in which the car will engage driver and passengers in a proactive, personalized and delightful way. This new experience is key both to redefine the customer experience in the car and to accelerate consumer acceptance of autonomy.

Over the past year the company has experienced rapid growth with its team expanding to 50 employees across its Israel and San Francisco offices. Intuition Robotics will continue global expansion in 2019 with plans to open a third office in Japan and continue aggressive hiring in its two existing locations.

"We are thrilled to bring ElliQ - the Sidekick for Happier Aging to the market," said Dor Skuler, CEO and Co-Founder of Intuition Robotics. "Over the last few months it has become clear that opportunities for Intuition Robotics and our cognitive AI platform run far wider than our original mission and can be leveraged in many spaces, starting with the automotive industry."

About Intuition Robotics
Intuition Robotics is developing digital companion technologies that bring hardware to life through proactive, context-aware, multi-modal and persona-based experiences. The company's cognitive AI platform, Q, understands the environment, makes cognitive decisions using proprietary algorithms and executes multi-modal expressions that proactively and intuitively engage users.

The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Israel with offices in San Francisco. Intuition Robotics' investors include: Toyota AI Ventures, Samsung NEXT, iRobot and Venture Capital firms from California, Israel, Japan and China. The company's first product is ElliQ® - an award winning proactive social robot for older adults, currently available for pre-order. ElliQ is aimed at keeping older adults active and engaged by connecting them to their families and the outside world. ElliQ won the 2018 CES Best of Innovation Award, a large coveted research grant with Center for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) led by Baycrest, AI Breakthrough Award, Fast Company Design Award and more.

Intuition Robotics media kit, including ElliQ® images available here.

SOURCE Intuition Robotics