Roomba inventor unveils a companion robot that's more pet than helper

iRobot co-founder Colin Angle launched Familiar Machines & Magic, a new consumer robotics company.

Its first product is a four-legged home companion robot built for emotional connection, not chores.

The robot uses on-device generative AI and communicates with pet-like sounds instead of human speech.

The move highlights a shift in robotics toward social and emotional support, while also raising concerns about anthropomorphizing AI.