‘Roomba’ inventor unveils new home robot… Not a humanoid
The inventor of the world-famous robotic vacuum cleaner is now creating robots that form an emotional bond with their owners.
You probably didn’t know you needed a robot dog to do yoga. But the man who has probably built more home robots than anyone else in the world is betting that half of the projected $5 trillion robot market will be devoted to companion dogs, not boring, drone-like robots that just do the job, with no emotional connection.
By the way, what about that dog? It’s a quadruped, not a dog, more like a bear than a dog.
So, what is Colin Angle building now?
Colin Angle, best known for helping bring the Roomba robot home in 2002, has unveiled a completely different device. His new company, Familiar Machines & Magic, has unveiled Familiar, a robotic pet designed not for housework but for companionship. The innovation was unveiled Monday at the Wall Street Journal’s “The Future of Everything” conference.
This marks a shift from devices operated by utilities to something designed to exist alongside people, not work for them.
FM&M aims to create home robots that act more like emotional companions than household machines. Its debut product is a four-legged companion robot codenamed Ami (according to The Verge). The robot looks like a cross between a dog and a bear and is designed to bond with its owner.
“The next era of robotics is not just about dexterity or humanoid form – it’s about machines that can build and sustain human connection,” Angle said, per an official press release.
Beneath the surface, the robot is equipped with sound sensors that act as ears and built-in artificial intelligence systems that process speech and environmental cues. Rather than responding with words, it communicates through movements and subtle sounds, responding to tone and behavior more instinctively than according to plan.
Over time, Ami learns household habits, greeting people returning home or prompting them to action if someone sits still for too long.
Movement plays a key role in making this interaction believable. Ami has multiple points of articulation that allow him to change posture, adjust his gait, and physically respond to his environment. The movement is based on advances in robotics labs and animatronics, giving him a fluidity that helps bridge the gap between machine and its companion.
The technology behind this robot also reflects a shift in the way these systems operate. Much of the processing is done locally, reducing the need for constant cloud connectivity. This approach allows the robot to adapt to everyday routines while keeping data at home, addressing some of the privacy concerns that have arisen with connected devices.
Other notable features include touch-sensitive fur, which in theory should be nice to pet, and built-in cameras and microphones that help the robot respond to situations without broadcasting audio or video anywhere. It doesn’t need to be connected to the internet to function.
The idea of using artificial intelligence to cure the loneliness epidemic isn’t necessarily new or groundless, even if it can sometimes seem a little dystopian.
Ami probably won’t launch until next year at the earliest, and we don’t have a price point yet, but it’s still quite fascinating to look at. In addition to its Roomba pedigree, a Familiar Machines & Magic press release states that the company’s employees have also worked with Disney Research, MIT, Amazon, Boston Dynamics, Bose, and Sonos.
Robotic pets are not entirely new, with products like Sony’s Aibo exploring similar areas before. What has changed is what’s now possible, the level of responsiveness, driven by improvements in artificial intelligence systems that can interpret behavior and adapt in real time. It’s these advances that Angle’s team is building on.
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Images courtesy of Familiar Machines & Magic.
