Colin Angle is back in consumer robotics. The Roomba co-founder is launching a dog-sized companion robot through his new company, Familiar Machines & Magic. Called the Familiar and codenamed Ami, it has a movable, expressive face, walks on four legs and runs an on-device generative AI model designed to form an emotional connection and develop a distinct personality, Angle said. The first units won’t be for sale until next year at the earliest, and Angle said they should cost about the same as pet ownership.
Colin Angle is back in consumer robotics. He founded iRobot and led the Roomba to mass adoption. He left his former role after a failed sale of iRobot to Amazon and stepped down as CEO in 2024. Now he and two cofounders, Ira Renfrew and Chris Jones, have formed Familiar Machines & Magic and unveiled their first product.
The Familiar is a quadruped that looks like a mix of a bear, a barn owl, and a golden retriever. It has movable eyebrows, ears and eyes. It walks on all fours and can move around a home independently. A demonstration video shown ahead of the robot's appearance at the WSJ Future of Everything conference illustrated those motions.
Design aimed at emotional connection
The company wants the Familiar to act as a companion rather than a tool. Familiar Machines & Magic positions the device as a "physically embodied AI system" that uses a generative AI model on the device. That model is meant to let the robot respond to people and build a personality over time. Angle said robots that can react and respond to humans are better suited to high human-connection roles like companionship, hospitality, eldercare and parental support.
Angle described the project as the result of a three-decade career in robotics. He said his original ambition was to build artificial creatures; iRobot was first named Artificial Creatures Inc.
He argued the technology is finally ready, and said that if used properly and responsibly, it allows the company to start creating what it calls Familiars.
The team behind the product includes several former iRobot staff. Angle and his cofounders have assembled a group of roboticists and engineers to develop the hardware and software. The company has held back on a full feature list. But it says initial use cases focus on families with young children, companionship for the elderly and tackling loneliness.
How it works, and who it’s for
The Familiar reportedly runs its AI on-device rather than relying solely on cloud servers. That design choice aims to keep interactions local to the robot. Angle framed on-device models as a way to let the robot form a distinct personality tied to its owner. He said the goal is emotional bonding rather than pure task automation.
The device isn't being pitched as a replacement for live caregivers. Instead, the company points to roles where machines that respond like living things could add value. Those include entertaining children, assisting older adults with social contact and acting as a household presence that learns routines. Angle said the next era of robotics is about machines that can build and sustain human connection.
Angle also tied the project to a broader social need. He mentioned the global loneliness problem as a reason to pursue companion robotics. The company sees the Familiar as one of several ways robots might help address social isolation, alongside other potential applications in hospitality and parental support.
Details on price are still provisional. Angle said initial pricing will be about the same as pet ownership.
He didn't give a specific dollar figure. Availability is limited for now: the first Familiar, Ami, won’t be available to buy until next year at the earliest.
Familiar Machines & Magic has so far shared imagery and a demo video rather than a full technical spec sheet. The public reveal focused on the robot's look, its expressive face and its capacity to move through a home environment. That visual identity is central to the product's pitch. The company chose the name Familiar to evoke folklore about a supernatural companion, blending tech and tradition in its branding.
The project marks a shift from Angle's best-known work. IRobot's Roomba is a task-focused appliance that cleans floors. The Familiar aims to be a social device that prioritizes relationships. Angle framed that shift as the natural next step after decades of development in navigation, battery life and actuation.
Not every technical or regulatory challenge is spelled out. The company has emphasised responsible use of the technology and said the era of creating artificial life requires care.
Beyond that, the company hasn't published detailed safety protocols, privacy practices or the full scope of on-device processing. Those are likely to surface as the product moves closer to commercial availability.
For now, the unveiling functions as a proof of concept. It shows how a seasoned robotics founder is trying to translate decades of experience in navigation and manufacturing into a new category: a consumer companion that looks and behaves like a pet. The work combines hardware design, motion control and generative AI in a single package.
Angle and his team have framed Familiar as an opening salvo. They’ve signalled a focus on emotional use cases and on-device AI. The immediate next steps are product development, testing and a commercial launch timeline set for next year at the earliest.
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Angle said the first Familiar, codenamed Ami, won’t be available to buy until next year at the earliest.
This article was created with AI assistance.
