Cute and Adorable Robots: Could They Soon Replace Pets?

According to SaedNews, Casio says its pet robot, Moflin, can develop its own personality and bond with its owner, without needing food or exercise.

Quoting The Guardian, the question arises: is spending time with a robot as comforting as with a pet, or does it feel alien? Moflin is a small robot, weighing about as much as a can of soup. It doesn't need to be fed or walked, and there's no litter tray. Developed by Casio, the Japanese electronics company, Moflin is the latest AI companion robot, priced at around £300. Erina Ichikawa from Casio states, "Moflin's role is to form relationships with humans."

Moflin is the newest addition to a growing collection of companion robots, a global market now worth billions. The robot's official website states, "Just like a living animal, Moflin has emotional capabilities and movements that evolve through daily interactions with its environment. It also develops a unique personality when connected with you."

Moflin can move according to an internal map of emotions, sharing its feelings through a range of sounds and movements, from stressed to calm, excited to lethargic, anxious to secure, depending on environmental changes. Being alone for a long time in its home, a plastic tub that also serves as a charger, can make it feel uneasy. This emotional state can be improved by spending quality time with its owner.

After a full charge, the first task is to download the Moflife app and choose a name for this new friend. Once charged, Moflin will feel restless, signaling the time for the first physical contact and conversation with its owner. According to Casio, it will learn to recognize its owner's voice over time. The goal of interacting with this robot is not just to change its behavior but to create a bond similar to that between a pet and its owner, growing stronger the longer they are together. Designed to mature out of infancy after seven days and reach maturity at 50 days, Moflin is shown to feel sleepy at 10 PM, according to the app. It can sleep in its home. Ichikawa says, "Moflin addresses issues of anxiety and loneliness. We know that pets can help people overcome these feelings and become more resilient, but not everyone can keep pets, so Moflin is a good alternative."

Japan, with its 125 million population, seems emotionally and financially capable of sustaining pets and robots. A 2023 survey showed Japan has more pets than children under 15. This discrepancy is not unique to Japan, as most developed countries are on a path of long-term population decline. Robotic pets first entered Japanese homes in 1999 when Sony launched the Aibo robot. Aibo, a robotic puppy, made a comeback in 2018 after a 12-year hiatus. It is said to recognize 100 faces, respond to over 50 voice commands, and develop its own personality, though it is made of plastic. This highlights Moflin's superiority with its soft fur.

Aibo helped cement the idea in Japan that interacting with an inanimate object as one would with a pet was acceptable. Perhaps the most famous example is the Tamagotchi, a handheld virtual pet by Bandai Namco, which became a global phenomenon in the late 1990s and 2000s. It seems natural that Moflin could one day join the AI pet community, serving as companions for Japan's growing elderly population.

"For now, we see Moflin as a pet," says Ichikawa. "But obviously, there's potential for introducing it to hospitals and nursing homes. Right now, Moflin is just a robotic pet for everyone." The demand promises to be high. Moflin quickly sold out once orders opened, and Casio aims to sell 6,000 robots by the end of March 2025. However, there are no plans to sell Moflin outside Japan.