do you trust a robot with your baby? the quest to invent a safer car seat poses the question.

PITTSBURGH —
The test is about to begin.
Robot baby car seat looks ready
Or at least four executives at the mother\'s company hope so.
The device automates the tricky task of installing car seats --
Adjust and protect yourself using motors and sensors.
The invention will solve the frustrating problems that parents all over the world are familiar. If it worked.
One of the four mom managers named Lin reminded everyone: \"Let me emphasize: this is a prototype . \".
This is the ninth prototype of fast. Growing Company
Car seats, adjustment and re-
It was supposed to be on the store last year.
But it was delayed at least in early 2016.
The equipment must be perfect.
You will not release child safety devices in beta.
For parents, it is not enough to just \"like\" a robotic car seat responsible for protecting their most precious goods.
\"Trust is another higher level,\" said Mara McFadden, senior product manager for four moms.
As CEO Rob Daley said, the mother is a robot company, \"just happens to focus on babies.
\"It has found a successful self.
Stroller and automatic swing
Use robots to improve their convenience and the \"wow\" factor
The final baby product has entered the shelves of retailers such as Target and baby \"R\" Us.
But the 4 moms car seat will face more serious challenges.
More than 70% of car seats have been abused
According to federal security data, it is mainly incorrect positioning and loose straps.
There\'s even a network of trained inspectors.
Hospitals, fire and police stations across the country
Who can you access to verify that the car seat is installed in the right way.
Car seats are difficult to use. A do-it-
The car seat itself can change this.
Although thousands of miles from Silicon Valley, Pittsburgh is known for its technological innovation.
This is where Carnegie Mellon University blew its own robot project from unted.
Google, Apple and Uber are all growing here.
Mom products this month-
The test room is located on the first floor of the Office of the city center along the Allegheny River.
At the end of last year, 170 employees of the company moved into these ventilated places.
Ten years ago, four mothers started in Pittsburgh.
Although many mothers work there, the company was founded by two people.
The name comes from five mothers who participated in the first focus group.
But Daley, one of them
Founder, don\'t like the voice of 5 mothers.
So he shortened it.
In this way, everything about 4 mothers is intentional.
Innovation is not accidental.
Insight is not generated alone.
Silicon Valley prototype of self-worship
The engrossed dreamer thinks the next big thing is to frown here.
\"We don\'t like people who have self,\" said Daley . \".
This appealed to other colleagues in the company. founder, well-
Henry Thorne, a famous robot expert
In the early 1990 s, Thorne invented the first personal robot.
It\'s called Cye.
This is revolutionary.
One can use a simple graphical interface to vacuum around the house and deliver small items.
The media expressed discontent.
He was booked on the morning talk show.
Cye for $695 failed.
\"It\'s useless,\" said Thorne . \".
\"It can\'t really answer the question, what is it?
\"With the help of a business consultant, he transformed Cye into a larger robot, called TUG, and eventually formed a company that sold tu to more than 100 hospitals,
At the end of 2004, Thorne met with former investment banker Daley.
They reached an agreement.
Daley will find opportunities.
Thorne will figure out how to achieve these goals.
It\'s about computing, not the original inspiration.
\"I transition to making something important by listening to people who understand what consumers think,\" said Thorn . \".
The first 4 moms product is a device that slides through the Bath spout and monitors the water temperature.
Then, four mothers introduced a baby bathtub with the same technique.
It shipped the mamaRoo automatic elastic seat in 2010.
Two years later, origami
Folding stroller
It has sensors to prevent it from collapsing with the children in it.
Then, the Breeze portable playpen and the rockaRoo baby seat.
Today, the company has raised $84 million in private funding, including investments by Bain Capital investment and newwell rubber maid, the owner of the baby
Rick, product company.
Mothers declined to say whether they made a profit, but said revenue rose to $48.
It was $9 million in 2014.
2011 6 million.
Especially the Origami stroller, after being accepted by celebrity moms like Jennifer Garner and Natalie Portman, has enjoyed a star-like turn.
There are also car seats, and 4 moms are expected to retail for $250 to $350, with Maxi-
Cosi and uptabby.
The company was in all on 2013-
ABC children\'s fair-
Consumer electronics exhibition for young people.
When Daley showed the product, the audience burst into applause. Daley said the product will be available in 2014.
But there was a problem with the car seat.
Daley said he was cautious about \"inventing on a schedule.
So they postponed the release date to get the car seat back to normal.
The baby seat is usually composed of two parts: the seat and the base.
This is the base, usually stuck in the back seat, which is the pain.
It is difficult to ensure safety.
\"How to install car seats\" is a popular branch of YouTube.
The 4 moms focus on the base and seek to simplify the installation process to press the button.
Its base is packed with three motors, one high.
Processors and a dozen sensors.
These electronic devices determine the plane of the vehicle and detect the correct tension-
It has to work in any rear seat under different climatic conditions.
In addition, the robot rechecks the installation before each ride.
Baby seats need to protect babies weighing from 5 to 22 to the north.
Kevin Dowling, vice president of engineering at moms, said: \"Robots are like predictability . \" He has previously worked on projects such as wearable electronics and mobile robots to explore other planets.
\"We all face different things.
Some features have been cut.
The company considered adding alerts to prevent the baby from being left in unattended vehicles by mistake, but found it too complicated and prone to false reports.
The robot needs to crash-
Tests prescribed by the State Administration of road traffic safety.
It was in April.
\"Everyone is holding their breath,\" said product manager McFadden . \".
The car seat passed.
But even now, the car seat still has no name as the product is released.
Inside, each prototype has a code name.
The most recent iteration is called chebaka.
In the product test room, Chewbacca is ready.
The 25-year-old deserter was invited to attend.
She is the ideal candidate. time mom-to-
Not the owner of the company\'s products.
Each of her reactions was watched by the executives in the room and recorded for later analysis. (
Observers were asked not to record their own videos. )
The company is trying to invent a device to solve a anxiety point for its parents, which creates a lot of anxiety of its own.
\"This is where magic happens,\" said Lin, the four mom managers at the beginning of the test . \".
Younis took the car seat out of the box and put it on a car seat that had rolled into the room.
Younis pressed a big button with a blue light on the side.
\"Park your car on the ground,\" Younis said . \" He read the instructions aloud from a small LCD screen on the base.
\"Press the button to continue.
Connect two pins.
\"She struggled for a moment and found two steel latches hidden in the back seat. “Oh, I did it!
Eunice announced.
Lin interrupted her: \"Wait.
I want to ask you a question.
\"But I want to know what\'s going on!
Younis replied.
Lin asked her questions.
Many of them pay attention to how confident she is at every step.
Parents need to feel at ease with invisible robots.
Younes press the button to start the robot installation.
The device shakes up and down, and then the motor bites off, tightening the base to the latch.
\"Wow,\" said Eunice.
\"Wow, look at that.
The robot has finished its work.
\"I have never seen car seats installed like this,\" she said . \".
The staff of the four mothers took notes.
McFadyen pays special attention.
She has two children, a boy and a girl.
She intends to make Lincoln, her youngest child, the first baby to use a car seat of four mothers.
This shows how much she trusts the device.
But they need to hurry.
Lincoln is three months old.
He may have grown up by next summer.