Colin Angle, the father of the Roomba vacuum cleaner, has left home cleaning behind to focus on the emotional company. His new bet is called Familiar, a pet-shaped robot designed to build human bonds, not to vacuum. Under his new company Familiar Machines & Magic, he has presented Ami, a dog-sized quadruped that merges traits of a bear, an owl, and a golden retriever. Its goal is to offer entertainment, parental support, and elderly care.
Integrated generative AI for a unique personality 🤖
Ami is not limited to following pre-programmed commands. The robot uses generative artificial intelligence in an integrated model that allows it to develop a unique personality with each user. It moves autonomously around the home and adapts its emotional responses based on interactions. Angle is betting on consumer robotics focused on high-connection roles, where physical AI must build and maintain human bonds to be effective. It will not be available until next year.
A robot that looks at you with owl eyes and ignores you like a cat 😼
After years of cleaning dust from under the sofa, Angle has decided we need something that looks at us tenderly and doesn't just suck the carpet. Familiar promises to be a cross between a teddy bear, a wise owl, and a golden retriever, though with the price of a real pet and the ability to ignore you when its battery runs out. Finally, a machine that can develop a unique personality, just what was missing: another being at home that doesn't pick up its toys.