Could a fluffy robot really replace a cat or dog? Casio has unveiled an AI-powered pet.
According to Saednews' Science and Technology section, Casio claims that Moflin, a robotic pet, can develop its own personality and form a relationship with its owner, without the need for food or exercise.
As reported by The Guardian, is spending time with a robot instead of a pet soothing or alienating? Moflin is a small robot, roughly the size of a can of soup. It doesn't need feeding or walking, and there’s no litter box to worry about. Moflin is the latest AI-powered companion robot developed by Casio, a consumer electronics company, priced around £300. Irina Ichikawa from Casio says, “Moflin’s role is to build relationships with humans.”
Moflin is the newest addition to the growing market of companion robots, a global industry worth billions of pounds. The official website for the robot says, “Just like a living pet, Moflin has emotional capabilities and movements that evolve through daily interactions with its environment. It also develops a unique personality as it interacts with you.”
Moflin can move according to an internal map of emotions, sharing its feelings—ranging from stressed to calm, excited to lethargic, anxious to secure—through a variety of sounds and movements, depending on environmental changes. Being left alone for too long in its home (a plastic tub that also serves as its charger) can make it feel uncomfortable, a state that can be remedied by spending quality time with its owner.
Once fully charged, the first step is to download the Moflife app and choose a name for this new friend. After charging, Moflin will initially feel restless, signaling the time for the first physical interaction and conversation with its owner. According to Casio, after some time, it learns to recognize its owner’s voice. The purpose of interacting with this robot is not only to change its behavior but to create a bond similar to that of a pet and its owner—growing stronger the longer they are together. These robots are designed to transition from adolescence to maturity at 50 days of age, after seven days of development.
At 10 p.m., the app shows that the robot is feeling sleepy. Moflin can sleep in its own home. Ichikawa says, “Moflin is a way to address anxiety and loneliness. We know pets can help people overcome these feelings and become more resilient, but not everyone is in a situation to keep a pet. Therefore, Moflin is a good alternative.”
It seems that Japan’s 125 million population has the emotional and financial capacity for both pets and robots. According to a 2023 survey, Japan has more pets than children under the age of 15. This disparity is not unique to Japan, as many developed countries are facing long-term population decline. Robotic pets first appeared in Japanese homes in 1999 when Sony released the Aibo robot dog. The latest version of Aibo, a robotic puppy, was re-released in 2018 after a 12-year hiatus. It’s said to be able to recognize 100 faces, respond to over 50 voice commands, and develop its own personality, all while being made of plastic. This highlights Moflin’s advantage of having soft fur.
Aibo helped root the idea that interacting with an inanimate object, which was once reserved for animals, could also become a part of Japanese life. Perhaps the most famous example is Tamagotchi, a handheld virtual pet from Bandai Namco, which became a global phenomenon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It seems natural that Moflin could one day join the growing community of AI-powered pets, serving the large and expanding population of elderly people in Japan.
Ichikawa says, “Right now, we think of Moflin as a pet. But clearly, there is potential to introduce it in hospitals and nursing homes. Right now, Moflin is just a robotic pet for everyone.” Demand for the robot promises to be high. Moflin quickly sold out as orders opened, and Casio aims to sell 6,000 units by the end of March 2025. However, there are no plans to sell Moflin outside Japan.
