Pets bring so much joy to our lives. It’s hard to replicate in robotic pets, but companies keep trying. For those who are allergic or kids training for a real dog, robotic dogs have been on the market since 1999. The latest is called Dog-E and it comes with a million possible combinations of lights, eye shapes, and sounds. While that mostly includes pastel colors and shapes like hearts and stars, it still somehow looks unsettling. We’re not sure this is a snoot we want to boop.
Dog-E certainly has some interesting traits though. Its tail conveys written messages through the same optical illusion used in those spinning wands that were popular in the 2010s. The 10-inch-tall pup has sensors that respond to being pet and a tongue that sticks out. Families can create their own profile with one Dog-E. The dog looks and acts differently based on who it’s interacting with. There are four options for the dog’s main personality: licky and loving, sweet and lazy, protective and hungry, or playful and energetic. If you want to add one to your family, it’s available for pre-order. It costs $80, with shipping expected in September 2023.
Gizmodo reports that the E-Dog is just one of many headed to the market that were shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Robo-dogs aren’t the only colorful tech to come out of the convention, BMW also debuted their trippy E Ink concept car.
We’ve seen a lot of variety when it comes to robo-pets. In Japan, there’s stuffed animal robots that nip your fingers and dinosaurs that serve ice cream. One company has developed robotic dolphins intended to replace those in captivity in theme parks. And of course there’s the Boston Dyanimcs robo-dogs, some of which work for NASA. Or people who don’t own pets could simply head to the local dog park or cat café to make a new friend.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.
