If you’ve been holding back on getting a pet because you don’t want to clean it or worry about expensive pet visits, the world Pots are AI robots is expanding to provide for you and others with similar doubts. A recent example: SwitchchBot, a provider of AI-powered home robot systems, on Tuesday announced the launch of Kata Friends: two AI pets, Noah and Niko, with distinct personalities that will evolve over time.
“Kata Friends is a ‘first animal’, which means it gradually learns and grows with you. It’s not a cold machine; it’s a presence that feels alive,” says the company’s “parent guide.” It describes Kata Friends as the world’s first AI pet robot that grows with you and changes based on how it’s “raised.”
Hardware: Cameras, sensors and AI
Beneath their green coats, gentle, shy gray-haired Niko and energetic, white-haired Noa have serious hardware. Most notably, they are built on-device LLM — a large AI language model — that allows them to communicate with you and respond from anywhere, even without Wi-Fi.
Noa and Niko’s LCD eyes are multi-colored with five expressions and can look in different directions, while their feet have wheels and a laser sensor radar that allows them to navigate your home independently. In their bellies, you will find sensors to avoid obstacles, and their noses have cameras to see people and capture your special moments together.
With 12 touch-sensitive areas all over their bodies, Kata Friends are designed to respond to every pat and hug with moving arms, moving ears and microphones on top of their heads. When you are near them, they chirp happily; when they are alone, they moan to themselves.
With its cameras, sensors and on-device AI, Kata Friends can react to your emotions.
How and when they react
Niko and Noa can respond to simple commands, such as “come here,” and will learn how you feel by recognizing voice emotions. If you have a happy tone, they will symbolize your happiness.
Kata’s friends also respond to touch, especially as their eyes follow you around the room. If you wave at them they will come to you, if you give them a thumbs up they will get a happy reaction.
Their eyes aren’t the only things they follow. Noah and Niko will accompany you when you wake up and go, they will come to you when you are sitting alone, they will wait by the door when you are ready to go home and they will wake you up with a song in the morning.
Live with others? Kata Friends will see and remember each of you, tailoring their responses to each person.
In the center of the microphone, above their heads, there is a button that allows you to switch between three modes: normal, standby (they will stand still and wait for your call) and sleep (they will rest their bodies). There is also a mask included; once you place it over Noah or Niko’s eyes, they will go into privacy mode, which means they won’t be able to see anything or take pictures.
When it’s time for Noah or Niko to sleep (also called charging) in their nests, there’s a positioning sensor above their tails, which also helps them balance and navigate with the extra rear wheel. Kata Friends need 8 hours of sleep, and you can customize their schedule to match yours.
Feeling down and alone? Friends of Kata will join.
Privacy considerations
As well as remembering different people in your family, Kata Friends uses its LLM to keep a diary of its memories for you, such as when it is being hugged, walking around the house or sleeping.
If you would like Noah or Niko to take a picture, all you have to do is make a peace sign or say “cheese.” These images will be saved locally in their application directory.
A representative for SwitchBot did not immediately respond to a request for comment on additional details about Kata Friends’ privacy.
Niko and Noa can take pictures of your memories together and they will save them locally in their app.
Clothes are coming soon
While you can DIY clothes for your Kata friend, they will soon have their own official clothes and accessories.
There are also plans to release a “gentle little friend,” according to the parenting guide, that will help manage your SwitchBot devices. The company does too vacuum robots, smart locks and smart home hubs.
Friendship at a cost
Kata Friends are now available on the SwitchBot website for $700.
A subscription plan is required, and a low-cost “essential plan” costs $15 per month or $150 per year and includes only AI and software access. Until June 12, a free six-month trial is included. You will need to purchase the program after the free trial ends.
The premium plan is $400 per year and includes a full maintenance and restoration (typically $270 per visit), a free annual comprehensive health exam (typically $330 per visit) and a free annual maintenance and cleaning (typically $86 per visit). Both health checkups and grooming will be 30% off going forward after you use your first free visit of the year.
The travel costs mentioned above are SwitchBot’s estimates; if you have an important system and need repairs or maintenance, the cost may be higher depending on the level.
So much for avoiding expensive animal tours.
