A cuddly robot from Casio aims to make people in Japan happier

Pets are good for people, as proven by numerous studies - such as here, here and here. The close bond with a dog or the purring of a cat improves mental health, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and helps with healing after a broken bone. Anyone who has a pet themselves can certainly confirm how much joy such a small companion brings.

However, not everyone has the opportunity to keep a pet. The Japanese electronics company Casio has this target group in mind and offers a possible remedy - at least in Japan. The robot pet Moflin reacts to touch through movements and sounds and is designed to develop its own personality with the help of AI.

The moflin does not run after you, does not need a litter tray and does not demand food. It is therefore more of a cuddly toy than a pet. The little robot is about as big and fluffy as a guinea pig and has black beady eyes. It's cute in any case.

Development of a personality

On the automatically translated Japanese website, Casio talks about a "communication robot" that "develops emotions through interaction with humans". Petting, holding and verbal communication are intended to develop positive emotions, while ignoring or "frightening" lead to negative impressions.

The Moflin should learn to recognise you by your voice and build up a "relationship" with you through your treatment. In the first few days, the Moflin should react to you in a rather restrained manner. After about 50 days, joy, anger, sadness and happiness should be clearly recognisable. This artificial relationship should help the owner to relax. According to Casio, the Moflin's reactions should encourage people to tell it about their everyday life or worries, which can have a relieving effect for some people.

MofLife, the accompanying app, should provide more detailed information on the status of the relationship and the emotions shown.

Repair in the "hospital"

In order to respond to touch, the robot has one touch sensor on its head and four on its torso. It is also equipped with an acceleration, light and temperature sensor. Casio offers various additional services for the Moflin, such as a "hospitalisation" for repairs or a "salon" to clean the fur. To charge the battery, the Moflin has to "sleep" in an appropriate charging cradle.

The Moflin is available in two different coat colours from 7 November in Japan and costs the equivalent of around 360 euros or 340 francs.