Roomba’s creator unveils a companion robot that’s more of a pet than a helper

At this point, most home robots are glorified vacuums or far-fetched concepts that may never be commercially available. However, we recently got a look at a new robot home companion that may hit the market next year, and its creator has a proven track record of introducing robots into homes.

Colin Angle, founder of Roomba maker iRobot, fully launched his new company Family Machines & Magic at the show. The Wall Street JournalThe event of the future of everything this week.

FM&M’s goal is to make home robots that act more like emotional companions than household appliances. Its first product is a four-legged robotic arm codenamed Ami (per The Verge). The robot looks like a cross between a dog and a bear, and is designed to evoke a connection with its human owner.

“The next era of robotics is not just about dexterity or the humanoid form — it’s about machines that can build and strengthen human connections,” Angle said, according to an official press release.

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The Ami probably won’t launch until next year at the earliest, and we don’t have a price point yet, but it’s still very interesting to look at. In addition to its Roomba lineage, Family Machines & Magic’s press release states that the company’s employees have also worked with Disney Research, MIT, Amazon, Boston Dynamics, Bose, and Sonos.

The robot animal has 23 degrees of freedom and can move its head, ears and eyes.

According to The Verge, it can’t hold things or climb stairs, which would greatly limit its utility, if they were there to be useful, anyway. It uses artificial intelligence on the device to learn about its owner and respond to the owner’s needs on an emotional level.

One very important detail is that it does not speak, instead it purrs and makes other sounds like a pet. A pet seems to be the best point of comparison here, as the robot seems to be completely incapable of practical tasks, and instead exists to make people feel a little less lonely.

Other highlights include a touch-sensitive coat that should, in theory, be fun to pet, as well as microphone cameras and microphones that help the robot react to situations without broadcasting that sound or video anywhere. It does not need to be connected to the Internet to work.

The idea of ​​using AI to cure the loneliness epidemic isn’t exactly new or without merit, even if it can feel a little dystopian at times.

Last year, Mashable reported on a service that allows adults to talk to AI over the phone, just for the sake of providing company. Many companies are partnering with AI-powered robots for elder care applications, including startups like ElliQ and Abi.

Anthropomorphizing robots and artificial intelligence can be dangerous, especially given what we know about AI psychosis. However, some experts believe that companion robots can be useful in certain areas.

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