Cover Casio’s furry robot rabbit, Moflin, comes in either brown or gray fur (Photo: Casio)
Casio’s furry robot rabbit, Moflin, comes in either brown or gray fur (Photo: Casio)
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Casio’s furry robotic rabbit is said to have basic emotions, such as joy, happiness, sadness and anger, which can evolve into more complex ones
AI companions are on the rise—there are those you can talk to like a friend or partner, while others are non-verbal robots designed to bring you comfort. Casio’s AI rabbit, Moflin, falls within the latter category.
The ball of fluff, which first appeared at CES 2021, is marketed not as a toy, but as an emotional support pet. Like a living animal, Casio says, each robot has its own personality. It can express basic emotions, such as happiness, sadness and anger, which will evolve as it spends time with its owner.
Designed to resemble a newborn animal, it can wriggle and make noises like the pet toys you see in the toy store, but it can’t verbalise or understand words. It can, however, recognise its owner by voice and the environment, and react accordingly. Its speciality is snuggling and it can form an attachment to people over time.
“Moflin has the ability to learn and its personality will develop based on how it is treated,” says Masahiko Yamanaka, founder of Vanguard Industries, the Japanese startup that developed Moflin with Casio, in a promotional video.
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Above Promotional video for Casio’s Moflin (Video: Casio Japan)
Moflin’s emotional state can be determined through an app, which can also be used to reduce the volume of the sounds it makes.
Casio has opened preorders for Moflin at ￥59,400 (about US$400). It is expected to be available starting on November 7. The company is also offering an optional annual subscription service called Club Moflin at ￥6,600 (about US$44), which gets owners a discount on repairs, cleanings and a complete fur replacement.
Aside from Moflin, here are other notable AI companions offering humans comfort and support.
Gatebox Grande, a life-size holographic AI waifu
Above The Gatebox Grande projects a 3-D hologram of a female anime character that can greet people and talk to them (Photo: Gatebox)
The Gatebox Grande projects a 3-D hologram of a female anime character that can greet people and talk to them (Photo: Gatebox)
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In 2016, Japanese tech company Gatebox launched its eponymous holographic device, which produces a 3-D image of a female anime character who can wake you up in the morning and talk to you throughout the day. The Gatebox is roughly the size of a toy and can comfortably sit on a table or nightstand.
A few years later, the Gatebox got an upgrade, both in terms of software and hardware. The virtual companion now comes in a life-size form and features a 65-inch 4k OLED display, which can produce the same female character up to 165 centimetres tall.
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Above Japanese tech company Gatebox’s life-size AI hologram (Video: Gatebox)
Standing at about 2 metres tall, the Gatebox Grande is marketed less to homeowners and more to businesses as a customer service tool.
The character, who goes by the name of Azuma Hikari, can be activated by voice or movement nearby, thanks to sensors built into the box. It has various facial expressions, gestures and voice tones, all of which are designed to make the interaction as realistic as possible.
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Nomi, who has “human-level” memory
Nomi can send you selfies, it can have voice chats with you and it can even message you first without being prompted.
Just like how some artists immortalise their lovers in their art, you can also create AI art with your Nomi as the main character.
You can also create multiple Nomi characters, put them into a group chat and have a conversation with all of them.
According to the app’s developers, Nomi has high levels of emotional intelligence, which means it will learn, understand and remember your likes, dislikes, tendencies and preferences from your chats with it.
To create a Nomi character, you start by picking a name and gender for it and the type of relationship you’d like to have with it—whether it’s a friendship, mentorship or something romantic. Then you select its personality traits, which range from gentle to curious and sexually open.
You can also choose a custom voice for it and how you want it to look—this is where it gets scarily real.
Last month, the company behind the AI companion announced the launch of an API (Application Programming Interface) that would enable anyone to take their character beyond the Nomi app. This lets product developers and owners bring a Nomi character to other platforms, apps and virtual environments.
Chong Seow Wei is a regional senior editor covering business, innovation, impact and people. Based in Singapore, she oversees content for Gen.T, Tatler’s platform for promising entrepreneurs and new-generation leaders, and its Power & Purpose vertical.
