Casio has started pre-selling its robot pet called Moflin, which looks like a hamster and Tribbles from Star Trek. Unlike Sony's robot dog, Aibo, Moflin is designed to be held by people, and over time, Casio says it will understand who you are and try to create a kind of simulated connection through unique sounds and movements.
Moflin was originally developed in collaboration with a Japan startup called Vanguard Industries, and is now produced and sold by Casio. It will be available for pre-order at 59,400 yen (about $398) and is expected to go on sale on November 7. Casio also offers an optional subscription service called Club Moflin for 6600 yen (about $44) per year, with discounts on repairs, cleaning, and even replacing the full fur.
Despite the limited action, Moflin looks lifelike.
Casio's Moflin is not designed to be a toy like Sony's Aibo. It's more of a comforting companion or a tool to help improve mental health, similar to the headless robot cat Qoobo. While being held, Moflin's limited head and body movements will make it feel like the furry robot is trying to snuggle up to you.
It is said that Moflin can learn to identify the people it interacts with the most through its voice and the way it operates the robot, and it will simulate intimacy with a unique voice and movement that is expressed only to that person.
Moflin is available in brown or gray fur, and Casio also offers a cleaning service for a fee.
The robot is also designed to generate its own simulated emotions and personalities that can change over time. Through regular interactions, it becomes happy, safe, and calm. If neglected, it can become nervous, anxious, and sad. However, due to the robot's limited ability to express emotions, it does not make sad sounds or swing its body anxiously to express these emotions. Its emotional state can only be judged by an app, which makes it feel like a very expensive doll, but without any digital rewards to reward it for being a hardworking caregiver. The app can also be used to turn down the volume of the sound made by the robot.
Moflin comes with its own charging bed.
To further enhance the illusion that the "Moflin" is a living creature, Casio did not insert a USB cable into its body, but equipped it with a small bed that allowed the robot to sleep on while charging. Casio estimates that it will last close to five hours on a full charge, and after a three-and-a-half-hour nap, it can be your emotional support robot again.