Casio Made a Furry Robot Designed To Cuddle and Calm You Down (theverge.com) 63
Casio has opened preorders for Moflin, a cuddly robotic pet that "looks like a cross between a hamster and Star Trek's Tribbles," reports The Verge. The robot is priced at around $400 and is expected to ship on November 7th. From the report: Unlike Sony's robot dog Aibo that can follow you around, Moflin is designed to be held and cuddled, and over time, Casio says it will learn who you are and attempt to develop a simulated bond expressed through unique sounds and movements. Originally developed through a collaboration with a Japanese startup called Vanguard Industries, Moflin is now being manufactured and distributed by Casio. It can be preordered for [around $398 USD] and is expected to be available starting on November 7th. Casio is also offering an optional subscription service called Club Moflin for [about $44 USD] per year, which gets you a discount on repairs, cleanings, and even a complete fur replacement. Accidents happen.
Casio's Moflin isn't designed to be a play toy like Sony's Aibo. It's intended to be more of a comforting companion and potentially a tool to help improve your mental wellness, similar to Qoobo, the headless robotic cat. While being held, Moflin's limited head and body movements are supposed to make it feel like the furry robot is attempting to snuggle with you, and as with many devices debuting this year, there are some AI-powered features, too. Moflin is supposed to learn to recognize the person who interacts with it the most through their voice and the way they handle the bot, and it will respond with unique sounds and movements only expressed to that person to simulate a close bond.
The robot is also designed to develop its own simulated feelings and personality, which can change over time. With regular interactions, it will become happy, secure, and calm. If it's ignored, it can become stressed, anxious, and sad. But given the robot's limited emotive capabilities, it doesn't make sad sounds, or display an anxious wiggle, demonstrating those feelings. Its emotional state can only be determined through an app, making it feel almost like a very expensive Tamagotchi, minus any digital rewards for being a diligent caregiver. The app can also be used to turn down the volume of the sounds the robot makes.
Casio's Moflin isn't designed to be a play toy like Sony's Aibo. It's intended to be more of a comforting companion and potentially a tool to help improve your mental wellness, similar to Qoobo, the headless robotic cat. While being held, Moflin's limited head and body movements are supposed to make it feel like the furry robot is attempting to snuggle with you, and as with many devices debuting this year, there are some AI-powered features, too. Moflin is supposed to learn to recognize the person who interacts with it the most through their voice and the way they handle the bot, and it will respond with unique sounds and movements only expressed to that person to simulate a close bond.
The robot is also designed to develop its own simulated feelings and personality, which can change over time. With regular interactions, it will become happy, secure, and calm. If it's ignored, it can become stressed, anxious, and sad. But given the robot's limited emotive capabilities, it doesn't make sad sounds, or display an anxious wiggle, demonstrating those feelings. Its emotional state can only be determined through an app, making it feel almost like a very expensive Tamagotchi, minus any digital rewards for being a diligent caregiver. The app can also be used to turn down the volume of the sounds the robot makes.
I would've scoffed at the idea (Score:3)
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Re:I would've scoffed at the idea (Score:5, Informative)
It sounds crazy, but these things do work, even when we know they are fake.
People treat dogs like children, even though they know the difference.
Or to be more vulgar, we know porn is just pixels on a screen, not flesh and blood, but we still respond.
We really should be listening to the dystopian warnings about AI companions replacing real human relationships. [wikipedia.org]
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"We really should be listening to the dystopian warnings about AI companions replacing real human relationships. [wikipedia.org]" It takes two to tango with this. Because of people are going to become to insufferable and untrustworthy in general, then yeah, AI stands a very good chance of winning this one. Maybe we need to clean out all of the anti-social behavior and ideas and all of the other mental crud amongst the general public so this does not come to pass.
We're dealing with at least three generations of people raised on electronics. The computer generation is ramping that up way harder, and gamifying it, where these giant behemoth companies *need* eyeballs, and will, without any compunction, do anything to get them. Addiction to these companies is the name of the game, and getting them young and training them in is even more important. Try to take away the electronics from a teenager and watch. You get one of two responses: Complete listlessness, unable to c
Re: I would've scoffed at the idea (Score:2)
There's something even worse than replacing human interaction with technology and it's replacing it with nothing. And I don't recall anyone really worrying about this.
Once you see it.. (Score:3)
To me it looks more like a rabbit vibrator hidden inside a golfclub cover.
Add to that the fact you need an app to reveal the "emotional state" of your pet and you have the new version of a Tamagotchi, with data mining.
Re: I would've scoffed at the idea (Score:2)
I know, right? Its even common in some societies to use real humans (people!) as emotional sinks for free therapy, and sometimes even transport and manual labor.
I hear they call them "friends".
Good thing in civilized societies we have replaced it with Taskrabbit
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That's all well and good...until these robotic fuzzballs kill us in our sleep!
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This will save my ex money. (Score:2)
This will save my ex money, won't have to buy so much cat food and kitty litter.
Will probably end up spending the money saved on batteries though.
I don't get it (Score:2)
This is October, not April
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
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This is October, not April
Kinky is popular all year 'round.
Re: I don't get it (Score:3)
Furry robot? (Score:4, Funny)
Oh great, we'll have the furry fandom people going "They took 'ur jerbs!" now too.
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Re: Two words: mechanical Turk (Score:2)
Please stop giving them startup ideas
Give to elderly women (Score:2)
That will appease the nurturing instinct of young and very old females. It is common practice to give mechanized plush toys to senile women.
These already exist (Score:2)
Of course they require actual commitment because if you ignore then they'll die. And that might be related to why they work. Because of the responsibility to another living being.
You ignore one of these (say it falls behind the couch) and all you have to do is change the battery. Not a big deal.
So yes, there could be situations were one of these $400 gadgets is appropriate, but somehow it seems a whole lot more real to just get a live pet. It doesn't even need to be a d
Re: These already exist (Score:2)
Yes, a pet is more real and long existing "technology" - yet plushies exist because that "having a puppy is a big responsibility" has proven ineffective with 5 year olds since before recorded history.
This is something in the middle - which may be overkill for very young children, but could be practical and effective for the elderly, for example.
I'll tell you what will calm me down (Score:2)
Keeping my $400.
Re: Improvements required (Score:4, Interesting)
Nah, if you want to see this skyrocket just make it in the shape of any Pokémon and you have a multi trillion industry in your hands.
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Female?
Ewww
Wrong parts.
Nah. Just design in some swappable bits, call it "Androgynous Andi" or something, and catch them coming and going.
Casio still exists? (Score:3, Funny)
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Where have you been?
They make watches, calculators. You cant go to school in 2024 without a casio calculator.
Their retro watches are pretty popular and if you have the cash you can even have a gold one. Right now I can go to the local Argos and for only £10.99 buy a standard F91-W, same design for decades. It sells so well they havnt stopped making them.
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Haha, I wear a modern smart watch made by Casio every day. It trickle charges via solar so hardly ever needs to be tethered to a charger.
Pantomime of human feelings. (Score:2)
yeah..ummm (Score:3)
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Don't know about that, but I remember the Elf on a Shelf that terrified little Maggie.
For that kind of money (Score:2)
You can pamper pet for a year, that will show you genuine affection.
Re: For that kind of money (Score:2)
Orrrr..... (Score:2)
Get a puppy?
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Get a puppy?
Perhaps its a pussy?
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Get a puppy?
Perhaps its a pussy?
I'm going to assume you don't mean something pornographic.
I'm allergic to cats. Besides, I'm not convinced cats feel genuine affection.
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Cats do feel affection, but it's doesn't really drive them the way it does a social animal, like dogs or people.
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At my age that would be cruel. It would probably outlive me and then what?
You could say that "well, it had a few good years", but I don't yet have an affection for it, and if I wanted to help those I don't already have an affection for, there are lots of people that depend on charities.
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Adopt an older dog.
Super successful campaigns (Score:3)
I knew about a similar seal creature pet that was made for the elderly and it did apparently have positive effects. I'm guessing this is targeted more at lonely working women. What I'm shocked about is that Vanguard actually attracted what looks like a million bucks through Kickstarted and Indiegogo to build this. Actually the Vanguard site is really interesting.
revealing (Score:1)
Meanwhile, in 1985 (Score:2)
Learning toys? (Score:1)
Next stop: Love-bot Androids. (Score:2)
We're getting there folks. As Elon Musk put it: "The future is going to be very weird."
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IIUC, they already exist. They just need a bit of improvement. The problem is the intermediate stages are more expensive with minimal increase in effectiveness. (Large scale motion is expensive and tricky.) I'd give a link, but my google-fu isn't up to it. I keep getting movies or bands.
What is a robot? (Score:3)
Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a "mechanical device designed to do the work of a man".
The marketing division of the Casio corporation defines a robot as"you furry pall who's fun to play with"
The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy defines the Casio's marketing division as " a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes".
Curiously enough an edition of Encyclopedia Galactica that fell through a wormhole from 1000 years in the future defines Casio's marketing division as " a bunch of mindless jerks who were the first against the wall when the revolution came"
Promising product (Score:2)
Sad (Score:1)
And So It Begins (Score:2)
#RoboticTribbleOverlords
Can't get an STD if it has a USB (Score:2)
Just saying.
get a teddy bear (Score:2)
Furby 3.0 (Score:2)
Right?
Will they also ... (Score:2)