The man who put a Roomba in every home wants to replace your dog with a plush robot
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Colin Angle, co-founder of iRobot and creator of the Roomba, has unveiled the Familiar — a plush, four-legged AI companion robot from his new startup Familiar Machines & Magic. Roughly the size of a bulldog, the device features touch-sensitive synthetic fur, doe-like eyes, and an AI system built on generative AI that adapts its behavior to its owner's habits over time. Unlike previous social robots such as Sony's Aibo or MIT's Jibo, Angle argues the Familiar benefits from modern generative AI capabilities that enable genuine contextual learning. The venture follows iRobot's Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025 after Amazon's $1.7B acquisition was blocked by regulators. Familiar Machines is targeting emotionally meaningful companionship rather than physical utility, with retired people as a key demographic. Pricing, funding, and production timelines have not been disclosed.
