Former Roomba CEO Unveils AI Pet Robot Familiar in New York

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Colin Angle, the pioneer behind the Roomba robotic vacuum, unveiled a prototype quadrupedal artificial pet named Familiar on May 4, 2026, at The Wall Street Journal's "Future of Everything" conference in New York. Roughly the size of a bulldog, the pet robot features deer-like eyes, bear-like ears, and simulated fur, and is capable of making greeting gestures and inviting touch.

"We chose a form that is neither human, nor dog, nor cat, to sidestep preconceived notions," Angle stated. His startup, Familiar Machines & Magic, is dedicated to developing lifelike robotic pets powered by the latest artificial intelligence. Unlike Sony's Aibo robot dog launched at the end of the 20th century, Angle believes Familiar achieves an interactive experience that "simply didn't exist before."

Familiar does not speak, but can make animal-like emotional sounds and understands and learns its owner's language through audio input and an AI system. Benefiting from advances in generative AI (such as ChatGPT), it can gradually adapt to the habits of people around it. "I couldn't have done this six months ago," Angle said.

Angle led iRobot for 25 years, turning the Roomba into the first widely adopted home robot. In 2024, after Amazon abandoned its acquisition, he stepped down as CEO and subsequently founded Familiar Machines. The company's team includes robotics locomotion pioneer Marc Raibert (founder of Boston Dynamics) and social robotics expert Cynthia Breazeal. Upon first seeing the prototype, University of Southern California Professor Maja Matarić said, "I immediately got down on the floor to get close to it, hugged and stroked it." She noted that advances in AI make it easier for robots to understand human language.

Familiar's target users include retirees and others who are reluctant to own live pets due to caregiving burdens. Angle indicated that sales are still some time away, but emphasized that this pet robot is about providing emotional companionship, not showcasing skills. Its name is derived from folklore, signifying a spirit-like companion.

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