The creator of Roomba is back with a furry robot companion

Colin Angle, the founder of iRobot and creator of the Roomba that put 50 million household robots in homes, is back with a new venture: Familiar Machines & Magic. His first product is a furry, dog-sized robot called Familiar (codenamed Ami) designed not for chores but for emotional connection. The quadruped resembles a cross between a bear, barn owl, and golden retriever, with movable eyebrows, ears, and eyes. It runs on-device generative AI to learn routines, develop a distinct personality, and encourage healthy activities like play or walks (though it’s not waterproof). Angle calls it a “physically embodied AI system” for what he terms “high human connection roles” – companionship, eldercare, hospitality, and parental support.

The robot won’t launch until at least next year, with a price tag “around the same as pet ownership.” Angle co-founded the company with iRobot veterans Ira Renfrew and Chris Jones, and assembled a team from Disney, MIT, Boston Dynamics, Amazon, Bose, and Sonos. Internally, the project realizes Angle’s original vision: iRobot was initially named Artificial Creatures Inc., but the tech wasn’t ready. Now, with generative AI, he believes it’s time to create artificial life that builds and sustains human connection, targeting the global loneliness epidemic and families with young children.