Japan’s entertainment robots diversify with AI, offer comfort

TOKYO – The range of home entertainment robots is becoming increasingly diverse in Japan, with some providing emotional comfort like pets, and others serving as fashion accessories due to their cute appearance.The growing use of artificial intelligence is also helping to expand the market, widely seen as having taken off with Sony Group’s Aibo dog-like robot first released in 1999.In August, Sharp unveiled a new version of its AI-equipped interactive robot Poketomo, set for release in December. The palm-sized robot, modelled on a meerkat, is designed to speak to users in a frank and unpretentious manner.Meanwhile, Casio Computer has released Moflin, an AI pet robot which apparently becomes more emotionally expressive the more it is petted or hugged.Since February, the company has provided the robot to the Jikei University Hospital in Tokyo, where it is being used to accompany hospitalised children.Tokyo-based startup Yukai Engineering began domestic sales in April of Mirumi, a clip-on robot that moves its head in response to sound or touch, and is small enough to attach to a bag.Sony’s pioneering Aibo robot, which reacts to external stimuli and moves like a dog, is still enjoying popularity. Its global market size is projected to reach US$7.37 billion (S$9.43 billion) in 2032, more than double the level in 2025, according to research firm Market Research Center. KYODO NEWS