Roomba founder unveils a dog-sized AI companion for home life

Colin Angle, the creator of Roomba, debuts Familiar, a dog-sized, on-device AI robot from Familiar Machines & Magic designed as a living companion—not a cleaner. The quadruped uses 23 degrees of freedom, camera-based vision, and nonverbal cues to build an emotional connection, operates on Nvidia Jetson Orin without cloud streaming for privacy, and aims at high-human-connection roles like family interaction, eldercare, and support for children. It won’t be sold this year; the first unit is expected next year at a price roughly in line with pet ownership. The project emphasizes artificial life over humanoid form and faces questions about cost, adoption, and real-world impact on loneliness and social interaction.