GoKawiilis a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News.
Colin Angle, the maker of the Roomba and the man who helped put 50 million household robots into people’s homes, is back with a new robot. But this one is designed as a companion, not a cleaner.
The first robot from Angle’s new company, Familiar Machines & Magic, is a dog-sized robotic pet that resembles a cross between a bear, a barn owl, and a golden retriever. It has an expressive face, with movable eyebrows, ears, and eyes, and the company calls it a “Familiar,” a name meant to evoke folklore around the idea of a supernatural companion. Based on a demo video I saw ahead of its appearance at the WSJ Future of Everything conference this week, the quadruped robot can move around your home on all fours independently, like a pet.
The Familiar is a “physically embodied AI system” that will use generative AI, via an on-device model, to engage with its owner with the intent of forming an emotional connection and develop “a distinct personality,” Angle told me in an interview. Robots that can react and respond to humans should, in theory, be more effective serving in what Angle calls “high human connection roles,” such as companionship, entertainment, hospitality, smart home, eldercare, and parental support. “The next era of robotics is not just about dexterity or humanoid form — it’s about machines that can build and sustain human connection,” says Angle.
Familiar Machines & Magic is built on the idea that if physical AI is to be used in consumer-facing robotics, such as eldercare, companionship, and parental support, it must be capable of developing and sustaining a human connection. Image: Familiar Machines & Magic
Internally codenamed Ami, the first Familiar won’t be available to buy until next year at the earliest, and will cost “around the same as pet ownership,” Angle said. Its exact features are also still under wraps, but Angle says initial use cases are focused on families with young children, companionship for the elderly, and addressing the global loneliness epidemic. It’s a bold move for a man who built a career on robots that clean floors.
Building artificial life
Angle says his entire three-decade career in robotics has led to this moment. The original name for iRobot, founded in 1990, was Artificial Creatures Inc. But back then, the tech to create artificial life didn’t exist. “Finally, I get to do what I originally set out to do. It’s not just about building cool animatronics. Now is finally the time where the tech exists — if properly and responsibly used — to start creating Familiars.”
After iRobot’s failed sale to Amazon, Angle stepped down as CEO in 2024. In the time since, he and Familiar Machines cofounders Angle, along with cofounders (and iRobot veterans) Ira Renfrew and Chris Jones, have assembled a team of roboticists and engineers from Disney, MIT, Boston Dynamics, Amazon, Bose, and Sonos. Their goal is to create a robot that is not just a toy or a chatbot slapped into a piece of plastic, as we saw everywhere at CES this year.
The Familiar should be able to learn household routines and interact with humans to encourage healthier activities, says Angle. It might encourage playtime. Nudge its owner to take it for a walk (but it’s not waterproof). And help with wellness activities.
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