You may remember Colin Angle as the wizard behind the creation of the Roomba, a household robot that has found its way into 50 million homes worldwide. Now, he is stepping away from the world of robotic cleaning to introduce a robotic companion: Familiar.
Familiar is the first product introduced by Colin’s new venture, Familiar Machines & Magic. Unlike his previous inventions, this one is not aimed at making your housework easier. It’s aimed at making your living experience richer. Familiar is an autonomous, dog-sized robotic pet. The look of this machine almost resembles a charming amalgamation of a bear, a barn owl, and a retrievable golden dog. With its expressive face complete with moveable eyebrows, ears, and eyes, it is all set to establish an authentic emotional connection with the family members it inhabits with.
The choice of name, “Familiar,” is not accidental. It is intended to stir up the folklore around the concept of otherworldly companions, beings, often taking the form of animals, aiding and protecting humans. From an AI platform perspective, Familiar is designed to take this folklore into the future, providing tangible companionship. This is not your run-of-the-mill robot; it’s a robotic family member that interacts with each family member, understanding their unique tendencies and preferences.
Familiar made its public debut at WSJ’s Future of Everything conference. For those who have seen this mechanical family member in action, the sight is both intriguing and endearing. Despite being a machine at heart, Familiar manages to display a level of liveness that is usually associated with living beings. It’s clear that Colin Angle’s journey to imbue robots with a soul of their own, continues unabated with his latest venture.
So far, robots have been seen majorly as tools to enhance productivity, to make our lives easier by taking over some of our responsibilities. However, Familiar offers an exciting departure from this pattern. Colin Angle is leveraging the advances in technology to make robots not just useful but also emotionally connected to us. It’s not just about tasks and chores anymore.
While only time will tell how successful Familiar will be in achieving its purpose, there is no denying the fact that Familiar is far from familiar when it comes to the world of consumer physical AI. This robot adds another chapter to the storytelling of robots becoming an integral part of our daily life.
You can dive into the full story at The Verge.
