The San Franscisco based company Anki started in 2010 sold over 1.5 million of its AI controlled robot toys including its Anki Overdrive cars and two small toys called the Cozmo and Vector.
The AI small race cars came out in 2013 and the Cozmo in 2016-2018 and the Vector in 2017.
The company closed down in 2019 and was bought by Digital Dreams Labs and unfortunately since much of its AI for the Cozmo came from the cloud, the b of the buyers of the toy were left with a lot of great features that no longer worked.
The cozmo which came out in 2016, looked like a mini 5 inch tall bulldozer toy with a small lcd screen which had many AI like features and sold for around $200.
It had facial recognition software so when the owner would come home it would greet them in a friendly robot-childlike voice by their names.
Cozmo was built with what they called an emotion engine which could make the toy seem like it had a handful of real feelings or emotional states.
Its handful of emotions were scientifically designed from the 5 states of a humans psyche.
Although Cozmo was a toy it had the capability with some programming software to introduce the user to a wide range of quite complex robotics and AI technology like facial recognition, machine learning and automated path planning.
It had the ability to be controlled using the Python language and then the developers adapted it to use the more common easier programming language called Scratch for use by schools and others.
In 2017 the Vector was introduced and looked very much like the Cozmo with a few different colors and had some enhanced technology.
The vector had some differences like it had an LED screen with more colors, more lifelike personality and 4 microphones while Cozmo had none.
Vector had a built in hd camera while Cozmo had a simple black and white camera.
Vectror has 4 sensors on the bottom while Cozmo had one so it could move better on a table and not fall off as easily.
Vector came with one cube while Cozmo had 3.
Vector was aimed more at the adult owner than cozmo and has a heavier sturdy feel.