Cuddly companion

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from Jan 7 to 10, a fluffy and stylish AI robot pet caught the spotlight, transforming the stereotypical image of a cold, high-tech machine into a warm, adorable companion that brings joy and comfort.

This cuddly AI robot, named Ropet, was created in 2022 by Verity Ventures Partners. It has a round, plush body with chubby arms and a face adorned with large, starry eyes.

One of Ropet's standout features is its ability to serve as a personalized companion. By using visual recognition and an expansive language model, it adapts to the user's personality, much like a living pet.

For example, Ropet can react to hunger and emotions. When it's hungry, it makes a stomach-grumbling sound to indicate a craving for food, such as bananas or apples. When food is placed in front of it, the robot pet detects it via a camera in its nose and responds with a chewing sound. When its owner appears bored, Ropet will look up and signal for a hug.

As of Jan 14, Ropet has raised HK$2,041,701($262,301.11) on Kickstarter, the world's largest crowd-funding platform, exceeding its initial fundraising goal of $1,285 by 204 times.

The rising demand for emotional companionship reflects the growing population of people living alone and the lack of social connection. "At CES, we're proud to demonstrate how Ropet is reshaping relationships between humans and AI," said He Jianbin, CEO and co-founder of Ropet, in a statement to PR Newswire.