I went looking for robot pets expecting to find gimmicks, and instead found a whole category of small machines that people get genuinely attached to. Some are furry and just want to be held. Some are robot animals that walk, sulk and come when called...
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Furry, and Wants to Be Held
Robot Animals
Desk Creatures With Opinions
Furry, and Wants to Be Held
A furry little creature with no face and no screen that slowly develops a personality based on how you treat it. Casio made this.
Moflin: AI Companion and Robot Pet
A big-eyed plush robot that reacts to being fed, stroked and picked up. Ridiculous, and very hard to put down.
ropet™ KAMOMO——Your Best AI pet
Purrs, rolls over and responds to petting. Designed for older adults living alone, and quietly one of the most loved robots ever made.
Companion Pets - Cat
Robot Animals
The grandfather of the whole category, and still the most convincing. It learns your face, develops habits and genuinely acts like a puppy. US-only now, and priced like a used car.
Aibo
Expressive eyes, chases a laser pointer, sulks when ignored and does tricks on command. No subscription, which is rarer than it should be.
Loona Petbot | AI Pet & Interactive Companion
A tiny desk robot that walks to the edge of your desk, dances to music and complains when you poke it. The GO HOME version drives back to its charger on its own.
EMO White - LivingAI
Small and Easy to Carry
Aibi Pocket Pet - Wearable AI Robot
A palm-sized robot dog you assemble yourself, then teach to walk, roll over and respond to your voice. Open source all the way down.
Bittle X Robot Dog Kit, Build, Code & Program
The cat to the Bittle dog — same open-source guts, but it stretches, pounces and sits with its own feline attitude.
Nybble Robot Cat — Programmable Open-Source Robot Pet
Desk Creatures With Opinions
EMO is ready to party!
EMOPET AI Desk Robot - ChatGPT Voice & Dance
A little robot with a face full of moods that reacts to being touched, gets bored, and bickers with a second Eilik if you buy two.
Eilik
The cult classic that outlived the company that made it. Roams your desk, recognises faces, fist-bumps. Voice features need a yearly subscription.
Vector 2.0 AI ChatGPT connected Robot Companion
A little robot body that your phone slots into and becomes the face. Cheapest way into a desk robot with actual expressions.
LOOI Robot
Loona shrunk down for a desk, and it wirelessly charges your phone while it keeps you company. A pet with a day job.
Loona Deskmate: AI Desk Robot & Desktop Companion
A rolling ball robot with an LCD face you draw on, and a coding app underneath. Less pet, more mischievous companion that can be taught tricks.
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