Sony has applied for a patent for a robot that accompanies players during gaming and measures emotions.
According to the description of the patent, the robot has various functions, but mainly serves to offer a ‘joint experience’. The device could recognize different emotions, such as ‘pleasure’, ‘anger’, ‘love’ and ‘surprise’, and measure the heart rate and skin moisture of players,
The robot would even contain a ‘love index’ that measures the bond with the player, depending on how often he talks to the device. It is also intended to help maintain a favorable ‘living rhythm’, for example by suggesting players take a break. Finally, the robot would also be able to act as a second player in, for example, co-op games.
According to the patent, a VR version of the robot is also possible. The device would then be next to the players in virtual reality and watch the game.
Whether the robot actually goes into production remains to be seen. Companies like Sony regularly apply for a patent without using it.