Colin Angle, co-founder and longtime CEO of iRobot, the company behind the iconic Roomba vacuum, has stepped into a new chapter with the launch of Familiar Machines & Magic (FM&M). Emerging from stealth mode at the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything conference on May 4, the new venture is focused on “emotional work” rather than household chores, with its debut product: a quadruped companion robot designed to combat loneliness and build genuine emotional bonds.
The robot, called a Familiar, takes the form of a plush, abstract quadruped roughly the size of a small-to-medium dog. Deliberately avoiding realistic dog or cat features to prevent mismatched expectations, prototypes such as “Daphne” blend elements of a bear, owl, and golden retriever. The design features soft, touch-sensitive fur, an expressive face with movable eyebrows, ears, and eyes, and a wagging tail. With 23 degrees of freedom, the robot moves with lifelike fluidity, drawing on motion expertise from Boston Dynamics and animatronics know-how from Disney Research.
Unlike task-oriented robots or the current wave of humanoid designs, the Familiar is built purely for companionship. It uses on-device AI (powered by hardware such as Nvidia Jetson) to read facial expressions, body language, and vocal cues. In response, it offers pet-like behaviors—tail wags, playful nudges, invitations to play, or gentle reminders for bedtime, yoga, or walks—without relying heavily on speech. Everything is processed locally to prioritize privacy, avoiding constant cloud streaming.
“I want to feel like the machine I’m building actually cares about me,” Angle has said of the project, which he describes as a passion he has wanted to pursue for years. The company, which has assembled talent from iRobot, MIT, Disney Research, and Boston Dynamics, sees Familiars as the first step toward a broader “Consumer Physical AI” platform inspired by folklore companions—supernatural animal spirits that aid and support their humans.
FM&M positions the Familiar for families, elderly users, and anyone facing loneliness. It learns household routines and individual personalities over time, developing its own distinct character and memory of interactions. The goal is a consistent, comforting presence that reinforces positive habits and provides emotional support without replacing human connection or performing physical chores.
The robot is still in the prototype stage, with full autonomous consumer versions targeted for 2027. While official pricing has not been announced, expectations point to a pet-like model, potentially in the $50–$100 monthly range via subscription.
Angle stepped down from iRobot in 2024 after helping scale the company to ship more than 50 million robots worldwide. Familiar Machines & Magic represents a philosophical evolution—from practical, task-focused machines to embodied AI that feels alive and caring.
The company’s website, familiarmachines.com, now features a waitlist for those interested in the first wave of Familiars.
The announcement has sparked discussion about the future of human-robot relationships, particularly in an aging society where loneliness is a growing concern. Supporters see it as a charming, potentially therapeutic innovation that could bring comfort to many homes. Others may question the “uncanny” nature of forming bonds with machines, though the abstract, non-realistic design aims to sidestep some of those pitfalls.
More details and prototype demonstrations are expected in the coming months as the company moves toward its 2027 launch.
