Roomba Inventor Reveals New Home Robot ... Not a Humanoid

Colin Angle, the founder and former CEO of iRobot, has launched a new startup called Familiar Machines & Magic.

Its first product, Familiar, is a touch-sensitive quadruped companion robot built for home interaction, not cleaning or humanoid work.

The company is betting that consumer robotics will be driven by companionship and emotional connection, rather than humanlike labor.

That thesis challenges the current market focus on humanoid robots and expands the conversation around physical AI in the home.