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The Sensor Array That Grew Into a Robot Cat

The Sensor Array That Grew Into a Robot Cat

Human brains evolved to pay extra attention to anything that resembles a face. (Scientific term: “facial pareidolia”) [Rongzhong Li] built a robot sensor array with multiple emitters and receivers augmenting a Raspberry Pi camera in the center. When he looked at his sensor array, he saw the face of a cat looking back at him. This started his years-long Petoi OpenCat project to build a…

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Have You Found Your Voice yet? Why Voice Branding is Crucial for CX Today

As voice technology grows in popularity, brands will need to ensure any communication they have with consumers hits the right note. Personalization is key, and a unique voice can help brands position themselves successfully in a crowded voice marketplace. Alexa, Siri and the many voice options on your GPS would agree.

Voice is part of the overall brand experience

If there’s one piece of technology that has captured marketers’ imagination this year, it’s voice technology. As the adoption of voice-controlled devices continues to increase, brands have jumped on the voice bandwagon – coming up with appliances that speak to consumers. What makes voice a particularly interesting subject for marketers is perhaps, its ability to establish a personal connect with consumers almost effortlessly. Voice helps humanize a brand. Which is why having a unique brand voice will be a key differentiator in the hyper-competitive voice marketplace of the future.

A unique voice persona is an extension of your brand experience. What is your brand persona? Should you define it or allow others to define it? My Smart Alarm Clock is female and speaks with a posh accent like Samantha from “Her”. In real life, I imagine she would look a great deal like Scarlet Johannsen. But what if I had a generic voice in my clock? Would it ruin my brand experience? Very likely. While older generations might like a singular voice of authority, millennials are notoriously famous for their preference for personalized experiences.  

According to Tara Kelly, CEO at SPLICE Software, a brand voice is simply an element of the overall user experience. She says, “Building a voice brand is simply another element of a company’s overall brand strategy; that is to say, it needs to be a part of your overall brand experience. If you look at branding, it goes well beyond logos and taglines. The best brands use all of the senses in building their brands. Think about how every Starbucks has a distinctive scent as you enter, or how the American Express Centurion Lounges pipe in its signature scent that envelopes you as soon as you get near the front door. Or how Nordstrom uses live piano players to differentiate their high-touch solution from stores that play pop music via overhead speakers. Or even how brands like Cinnabon and Chick-Fil-A give free samples of their very distinctive flavors. All of these lead to a sensory experience that goes beyond the visual. When we work with companies to establish a brand voice, we look at both the needs of the customer, as well as the brand of the company to find the right talent to suit its needs. In some cases, that means using a voice that’s reflective of a high-touch solution. In others, it may mean using multiple voices or languages for different customers or reflecting the regional accent associated with the brand. As for implementation, what’s most important is providing real-time information that keeps the customer informed, proactively giving them that information via their channels of choice and doing so in a voice (or voices) that supports the existing brand of the company.”

The connection between Voice, Personality and Competitive Advantage

Brands need to seize the early adopter advantage and define their unique voice in this new voice-operated environment. Your brand voice should offer better value than alternative modes of communication to avoid falling into the trap of technology for technology’s sake. The underlying motivation for using voice is personalization, experience and of course efficiency in terms of faster decision making. Therefore, your strategy must focus on designing an experience which is personal, easy and non-invasive. As with any brand strategy, there is a real need to scrutinize your customers’ relationship with your brand. Key to deploying a successful voice strategy is identifying opportunities in a customer’s life to address their pain points, and a unique brand voice goes a long way to gain their trust. Humans are hardwired to recognize human-like patterns in inanimate objects, scientists call this pareidolia. **Your customers will project a personality onto your brand, whether you want it or not. Building a unique voice brand puts you in control of that perception**

Speaking about why it’s critical for brands to control their own perception, Tara opines, “I can’t imagine why any company that’s invested millions of dollars in building a strong, cohesive brand would want to use Google’s, Alexa’s, Cortana's or Siri’s voice to develop a relationship with its customers for its AI deployment, when the interface allows you to use a more personal, distinctive voice. If your AI voice is the same as everyone else’s, you’re just commoditizing your product. Why should I stay with you if I can get the exact same voice experience via any of your main competitors? **As more business gets done via voice assistant, you’re going to see millions of dollars of brand equity destroyed by companies that took the easy way, and lose their distinction in a sea of similar voices**. On top of that, if you’re in retail or insurance, and you’re providing information using the same voice as Google or Amazon—who compete with you—aren’t you just reinforcing their brands as they compete with you, whether it’s by providing price comparisons for insurance via Google, or providing an alternative shopping experience via Amazon? The same issue exists with Apple and Financial Services, where Apple Pay is competing with other forms of payment. Who knows where these companies may grow in the future—why to use their voices when you can have one of your own?”

Looking to the future, there is a tremendous opportunity for brands to branch out in the territory of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Tara says, “**The next big land grab is going to be via voice assistant, and it’s already happening**.” The focus on designing a utilitarian experience through voice branding can help brands break free the shackles of a jagged, branded, human-emulating style to a more natural conversational interface. Beyond the technological advancements that will augment the growth of voice branding, the industry needs to overcome certain obstacles as well. There have been concerns about privacy and security of voice-controlled devices and brands need to strike a fine balance between convenience and security to encourage adoption.    

  This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

The Sensor Array That Grew Into a Robot Cat

Human brains evolved to pay extra attention to anything that resembles a face. (Scientific term: “facial pareidolia”) [Rongzhong Li] built a robot sensor array with multiple emitters and receivers augmenting a Raspberry Pi camera in the center. When he looked at his sensor array, he saw the face of a cat looking back at him. This started his years-long Petoi OpenCat project to build a feline-inspired body to go with the face. While the name of the project signals [Rhongzhong]’s eventual intention, he has yet to release project details to the open-source community. But by reading his project page and …read more http://pje.fyi/QJyGBD

‘Presidential Pareidolia’

#5.) James Monroe (1817-1825) (Democratic-Republican)

“There is no object which as a people we can desire which we do not possess or which is not within our reach. Blessed with governments the happiest which the world ever knew, with no distinct orders in society or divided interests in any portion of the vast territory over which their dominion extends, we have every motive to cling together which can animate a virtuous and enlightened people. The great object is to preserve these blessings, and to hand them down to the latest posterity.

Our experience ought to satisfy us that our progress under the most correct and provident policy will not be exempt from danger. Our institutions form an important epoch in the history of the civilized world. On their preservation and in their utmost purity everything will depend. Extending as our interests do to every part of the inhabited globe and to every sea to which our citizens are carried by their industry and enterprise, to which they are invited by the wants of others, and have a right to go, we must either protect them in the enjoyment of their rights or abandon them in certain events to waste and desolation.

Our attitude is highly interesting as relates to other powers, and particularly to our southern neighbors. We have duties to perform WRT all to which we must be faithful. To every kind of danger we should pay the most vigilant and unceasing attention, remove the cause where it may be practicable, and be prepared to meet it when inevitable.

Against foreign danger the policy of the Government seems to be already settled. The events of the late war admonished us to make our maritime frontier impregnable by a well-digested chain of fortifications, and to give efficient protection to our commerce by augmenting our Navy to a certain extent, which has been steadily pursued, and which it is incumbent upon us to complete as soon as circumstances will permit. In the event of war it is on the maritime frontier that we shall be assailed. It is in that quarter, therefore, that we should be prepared to meet the attack. It is there that our whole force will be called into action to prevent the destruction of our towns and the desolation and pillage of the interior.

To give full effect to this policy great improvements will be indispensable. Access to those works by every practicable communication should be made easy and in every direction. The intercourse between every part of our Union should also be promoted and facilitated by the exercise of those powers which may comport with a faithful regard to the great principles of our Constitution. With respect to internal causes, those great principles point out with equal certainty the policy to be pursued.

Resting on the people as our Governments do, State and National, with well-defined powers, it is of the highest importance that they severally keep within the limits prescribed to them. Fulfilling that sacred duty, it is of equal importance that the movement between them be harmonious, and in case of any disagreement, should any such occur, a calm appeal be made to the people, and that their voice be heard and promptly obeyed. Both Governments being instituted for the common good, we cannot fail to prosper while those who made them are attentive to the conduct of their representatives and control their measures. In the pursuit of these great objects let a generous spirit and national views and feelings be indulged, and let every part recollect that by cherishing that spirit and improving the condition of the others in what relates to their welfare the general interest will not only be promoted, but the local advantage be reciprocated by all.”

Citation: James Monroe: "Eighth Annual Message," December 7, 1824. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29466

Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/James_Monroe_White_House_portrait_1819.gif

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Lieutenant Commander "Wags" MacIntyre. Furthest ball fetched: 746 million miles.

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