ROBOTICS
Don’t forget to charge your pet!
Colin Angle, the robotics pioneer behind the Roomba, is now working on a new kind of home robot: a soft, four-legged AI pet that can follow people around, respond to them, and learn their daily habits.
The prototype is called Familiar and comes from Angle’s new startup, Familiar Machines & Magic.
It looks like a bulldog-sized creature with soft fake fur, big eyes, bear-like ears and paws, and touch-sensitive features that make it feel more pet-like.
Angle says the team avoided making it look too much like a dog, cat, or human.
The idea is to create something people can bond with without expecting it to act exactly like a real pet or person.
The robot will not talk. Instead, it will make animal-like sounds, listen to what people say, and use AI to slowly learn from the people around it.
Robotic pets are not a new idea.
Sony launched its Aibo robot dog in the late 1990s and brought it back in 2018.
But Angle believes generative AI now makes it possible to build something more responsive and emotionally believable.
In brief:
Familiar is a soft AI robot designed to follow people, respond to touch, and learn routines.
It was created by Colin Angle, the former iRobot CEO behind the Roomba.
It could help older adults or care settings, but only if people find it cute rather than creepy.
Fur is fake btw
Familiar is still in the early stages and is not ready to buy yet.
One possible audience is older adults who may want the comfort of a pet but do not want the stress or responsibility of caring for one.
Angle has also brought in well-known robotics experts as advisers, including people connected to Boston Dynamics, MIT, and socially assistive robotics.
Supporters say the robot could eventually be useful in care homes, mental health support, and other settings where companionship matters.
The main question is whether people will see it as comforting, or just a bit too weird.
Definitely not creepy. - MV