Aisoy Robotics

Aisoy Robotics, established in December 2008 in Elche, Spain, specialized in the development and manufacturing of social and emotional robots. The company was founded by a team of engineers and mathematicians, including José Manuel del Río (CEO), Manuel Marín Martinez, and Diego García (Product Manager). Del Río's lifelong passion for robotics and artificial intelligence, sparked by a childhood computer gift, was the driving force behind the venture. The team's vision was to create affordable, intelligent robots that could form emotional bonds and assist in education and personal well-being.

The company's core business centered on designing and selling social robots directly to consumers, with a primary focus on the educational market. Their main product line was the Aisoy robot, a pet-like companion designed to interact with users, particularly children. The first version, Aisoy1, was launched in 2010. A key differentiator was its emotional engine, co-designed by scientific director David Ríos, which allowed the robot's personality to evolve through user interaction rather than relying on pre-programmed responses. This system analyzed stimuli and made decisions, enabling the robot to display emotions and adapt its behavior. The robots were also programmable using languages like Scratch, Blocky, and Python, making them a tool for teaching STEAM concepts. Over the years, the company released several versions of its robots, including the Aiko model in 2021, which focused on conversational interaction for entertainment and well-being.

The robots were built on platforms like Raspberry Pi and featured cameras for facial recognition, microphones, speakers, and touch sensors. This hardware allowed them to interact conversationally, recognize users, and express a range of emotions through gestures and voice tones. Aisoy Robotics targeted its products at children for educational purposes, including those with special needs like autism, where the robots showed potential in developing social skills. Despite achieving milestones such as winning the Everis Foundation's Entrepreneurs Award in 2013 and expanding distribution to the USA in 2017, the company faced significant challenges. After struggling with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent chip crisis, Aisoy Robotics filed for bankruptcy in September 2022 and ceased operations in December 2022.

Keywords: social robotics, emotional AI, educational robots, STEM education, companion robot, artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction, programmable robot, Aisoy1, Aiko robot, cognitive robotics, affective computing, child development, special needs education, robotics for autism, Python programming, Scratch programming, Raspberry Pi robot, robotics startup, conversational AI