The home entertainment robot market in Japan is expanding significantly, offering emotional support akin to pets and doubling as fashionable items due to their appealing designs. This trend has been bolstered by advances in artificial intelligence, which gained considerable traction with Sony’s Aibo dog-like robot, introduced in 1999.
Recent innovations include:
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Sharp’s Poketomo: This AI-powered, meerkat-inspired robot will launch in December, known for its candid communication style.
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Casio’s Moflin: This AI pet robot, responsive to affection, is currently being used in hospitals to comfort children.
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Yukai Engineering’s Mirumi: A portable clip-on robot that interacts via movement and sound, ideal for attachment to bags.
Sony’s Aibo continues to lead the market, with projections suggesting its global market could exceed $7.37 billion by 2032, more than doubling its forecast from 2025, as reported by Market Research Center Corp.
