If you like the companion of a cat but are not too fond of its potential destructive behaviors like kicking vases off shelves and tables or turning every furniture into a scratching post, then perhaps an AI-powered robot cat like the Elephant Robotics MetaCat will be a better fit for you.
MetaCat is an advanced AI pet that is modeled after the popular Ragdoll breed of cats. Like Neko-chan and the headless robotic cat, MetaCat offers companionship and responds to your touch. It will meow and purr, complete with actual vibrations, just like a real kitty.
While it cannot move around like MarsCat or Aibo, its head and tail have 3 DOF (Three Degrees of Freedom) movements for realistic cat head and tail motions. The movements are based on deep learning technology that mimics a real cat.
The robot cat’s realism is further boosted by the LED screen for the eyes that can move dynamically. The LED eyes can evoke different moods by winking, blinking, moving, and even dilating.
The boon of a robot cat is beyond non-destructive companionship; it also means it will not trigger allergies since it has synthetic fur made from acrylic fiber (and it has food-grade silica gel for paws), plus there will be no litterbox to deal with, and very important no vet bills ever. Not sure about if it would ever have roboticist bills though.
The Elephant Robotics MetaCat AI-powered robot cat for US$189–239 from Amazon.com and shop.elephantrobotics.com.
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All images courtesy of Elephant Robotics.