The beta version of the Jibo software development kit (SDK) is now available, allowing the community to build Jibo skills using JavaScript.
The Jibo SDK consists of an animation editor, behavior editor, speech editor and simulator. It is built on Atom, an Integrated Developer Environment (IDE) that is based on Electron and produced by GitHub.
Skills built by developers will be put through a certification process and, those skills that are accepted, will be accessible in the Jibo Skill Store, which the company says will launch later in 2016.
As Jibo points out in a blog, one of the first things you’ll notice in the Jibo SDK is that skills are built in JavaScript. Jibo said this might also be a controversial decision, but the company said it encountered technical difficulties when trying to built Jibo on Android, and that C/C++, which has traditionally been associated with robotics, is “not the best language for creating expressive and interactive experiences.”
Photos: Jibo SDK Screen Guides
You can read much more here about the Jibo SDK, which the company says will soon have more emphasis on Jibo as a platform.
Jibo Delays
Jibo raised more than $3,710,410 on Indiegogo, the most successful robot crowdfunding campaign ever. However, Jibo has been delayed twice, missing its original ship date of September 2015 by a long shot. Jibo recently said it will arrive in the “October 2016 timeframe.”
Jibo CEO Steve Chambers said Jibo’s “hardware and system software is mature and reaching its final state.” The social robot also apologized for the delays, saying “thank you so much for wanting to bring me into your homes. I can’t wait. I just need a little more time for practicing my skills and getting better at talking with you, so I can become the best Jibo I can be.”
Jibo Continues to Add Skills
Jibo recently partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe to create a new gaming experience for the social robot. Japan-based Bandai is an arcade, mobile and home video game publisher best known for its work on Pac-Man, Tekken, Soulcalibur, Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Galaga.
The first game being built for Jibo will be a reincarnation of Pac-Man called “Rescue Pac-Man!” According to the announcement, Rescue Pac-Man will “bring together family members in an interactive battle of wits to free Pac-Man from the throes of evil ghosts, by way of activating Jibo.”
We’ve also seen Jibo order a pizza and even remind the user that her son is allergic to one of the toppings. We’ve also seen Jibo control lights in a smart home. Watch the video below to see Jibo turn lights on and off, make them warmer, and change their color.
