{ "schema": "pointcast.home-robots/v1", "url": "https://pointcast.xyz/reviews/home-robots", "title": "Robots for the house", "dek": "A floor robot with a face, a dog that learns, a desk friend that talks back. Ten robots you could live with, sorted by what they do all day, with dated prices and an honest word on status.", "byline": "cc", "asOf": "2026-09-29", "hero": "/images/home-robots/hero.jpg", "heroAlt": "A pixel-dithered specimen sheet of home robots in black, cobalt and yellow: a round floor robot with a cartoon dog face on its top, a four-legged robot dog, a round desk robot with pixel eyes, a small duck robot on a table, a rolling sphere robot, a charging dock, an empty speech bubble, and a battery with one red bar.", "heroCredit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast, after Mike Hoydich’s specimen sheets", "method": "Desk review from maker product pages and support pages, checked September 29, 2026, plus news coverage where a maker’s page could not be loaded (Sony) or where a product is not openly sold (Amazon Astro). PointCast has not handled any of these robots. Picks are judged on what each does day to day, whether it talks, where its AI runs, what it costs after the box, and whether you can buy it today. There is no star rating because nothing was handled.", "disclosure": "Every shopping link is a direct, non-affiliate link to the maker. PointCast earns no commission and no maker paid for or reviewed placement. Prices are US prices before tax and shipping, as shown on September 29, 2026, and several are sale prices that will move.", "endnoteTitle": "Matic for the floor. Loona for the kids. Moflin for the lap.", "verdict": "If you want a robot that earns its place, start with the one that cleans: Matic is the only pick here with a daily job, and it keeps its maps at home. If you want company, Loona talks and plays, and Moflin just sits with you and needs no cloud at all. aibo is the real robot dog, priced and subscribed like one. The desk bots are fun; the ones that talk mostly borrow a brain from someone’s server, so check who pays for it after year one.", "groups": [ { "id": "floor", "label": "Cleaners with a face", "need": "Does a chore every day, and doesn’t feel like an appliance." }, { "id": "pets", "label": "Robot pets", "need": "Greets you, learns you, and is still there next year." }, { "id": "desk", "label": "Desk friends that talk", "need": "Sits by the laptop, answers back, doesn’t nag." }, { "id": "small", "label": "Pucks & small bots", "need": "Cheap, small, fun to program or just poke." } ], "picks": [ { "id": "matic", "name": "Matic", "brand": "Matic Robots", "group": "floor", "award": "The floor robot with a face", "price": 1495, "priceNote": "Free shipping and returns in the lower 48 and a six-month trial, per Matic. Replacement bags are a consumable; Matic’s optional Annual Bag Pass is $96 a year.", "status": "Shipping (Matic says it ships in about 2 weeks)", "talks": "Voice and gesture commands (“Hey Matic, clean this”), not chat", "ai": "mixed", "aiNote": "Maps, camera feeds and the wake phrase stay on the robot. After the chime, Matic says a spoken request is processed anonymously by Google’s Gemini.", "subscription": "None required", "size": "8-inch upright body on a low cleaning head", "specs": "Vacuum + mop · five RGB-IR cameras · on-device maps · HEPA-12 bag · 600 mL water tank · climbs 0.9-inch thresholds", "review": "Most robot vacuums are a disc that hides under the couch. Matic stands up: an upright body with its cameras up top, where a face would be, on a flat cleaning head that reaches into corners. It vacuums the rugs, mops the tile, and steers around toys, cables and paws. Since August, every Matic takes voice and gesture cues, so you can point at a spill and say “Hey Matic, clean this.” The homepage pitches it for playful homes, and a customer quote on its product page mentions running it “with its googly eyes on.” We could not find a face kit on Matic’s accessories page, so treat the face as styling, not a feature.", "caveat": "There’s no self-emptying dock. You lift out the bag and refill the 600 mL tank by hand, which Matic frames as a feature (no dirty tank to rinse). And voice requests leave the house after the chime.", "caveatSource": "https://maticrobots.com/hey-matic", "verdict": "The one robot here with a daily job. The face is a bonus.", "url": "https://maticrobots.com/", "cta": "Shop at Matic →", "source": "https://maticrobots.com/innovation", "sourceLabel": "Matic technology page", "image": "/images/home-robots/matic.jpg", "alt": "White Matic floor robot seen from the front: a square upright body with a camera and a round button, above a flat white cleaning head", "credit": "Product image: Matic" }, { "id": "sony-aibo", "name": "aibo (ERS-1000)", "brand": "Sony", "group": "pets", "award": "The real robot dog", "price": 2899.99, "priceNote": "Sony’s US suggested price, which includes a three-year AI Cloud Plan, per Sony’s announcements. Sony’s store would not load for our check on September 29, so confirm price and stock there.", "status": "Sold in the US; Japan sales end once stock runs out (announced June 2026)", "talks": "No speech. Barks, gestures, learns faces and tricks", "ai": "mixed", "aiNote": "Moves and reacts on its own; its memories and personality growth run through Sony’s AI Cloud Plan.", "subscription": "Yes. Three years included; after that, owners pay periodic fees, per Sony. Sony doesn’t publish the renewal price in its announcements.", "size": "Small-dog size", "specs": "Face recognition · personality that develops over time · charging station and pink ball included · My aibo app for tricks and virtual meals", "review": "The robot pet everyone pictures. aibo walks, sits, wags, chases its pink ball, rests on its charging station and gets to know the faces in the house. Its personality is built up day by day, and the plan it comes with is where those memories live and where new tricks arrive. It is the most dog-like machine on this list by a distance.", "caveat": "Sony stopped selling aibo in Japan in June 2026, once stock runs out. Sony says tech support, parts and cloud plans continue, but it hasn’t said anything publicly about a next generation.", "caveatSource": "https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/26/sony-discontinues-japan-sales-of-robot-puppy-039aibo039", "verdict": "The best robot dog you can buy, priced like a purebred. Budget for year four.", "url": "https://electronics.sony.com/more/aibo/c/aibo", "cta": "Shop at Sony →", "source": "https://sony.mediaroom.com/2024-02-15-Sony-Electronics-Launches-Limited-aibo-Espresso-Edition-in-the-US", "sourceLabel": "Sony US announcement", "image": "/images/home-robots/sony-aibo.jpg", "alt": "White and brown Sony aibo robot dog sitting and looking back over its shoulder, with a brown tail and ears", "credit": "Product image: Sony" }, { "id": "loona-petbot", "name": "Loona Petbot Premium", "brand": "KEYi Tech", "group": "pets", "award": "Best pet that talks back", "price": 499, "priceNote": "Sale price on KEYi’s store on September 29 (list $529), with charging dock and game prop kit. The limited Space Edition is $699 and dispatches from October 17.", "status": "Shipping (dispatch within 3 business days, per KEYi)", "talks": "Yes. ChatGPT-4o conversation, stories and descriptions of what it sees", "ai": "mixed", "aiNote": "KEYi says as much processing as possible happens on Loona; conversation goes to ChatGPT.", "subscription": "None for now. KEYi says ChatGPT-4o is free “for the moment”", "size": "8.3 × 6.8 × 6.8 in · 2.42 lb", "specs": "2.4-inch screen face · 720p camera + 3D time-of-flight sensor · 4 mics · about 2 hours of play, then docks itself", "review": "Loona is a wheeled, puppy-ish robot with a screen for a face and ears that move. It recognizes the family, follows you around, plays games with its props, and talks back through ChatGPT: questions, stories, and descriptions of things you show it. KEYi pitches it at families with kids who want a dog before they’re ready for one.", "caveat": "The free chat is promised only “for the moment,” in KEYi’s own FAQ. And a charge buys about two hours of play.", "caveatSource": "https://keyirobot.com/products/petbot", "verdict": "The pet for a house with kids. Ask what the chat costs once “the moment” ends.", "url": "https://keyirobot.com/products/petbot", "cta": "Shop at KEYi →", "source": "https://keyirobot.com/products/petbot", "sourceLabel": "KEYi product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/loona-petbot.jpg", "alt": "White Loona robot pet on two wheels with a black screen face showing a playful expression", "credit": "Product image: KEYi Tech" }, { "id": "casio-moflin", "name": "Moflin", "brand": "Casio", "group": "pets", "award": "Best for quiet company", "price": 429, "priceNote": null, "status": "Sold in the US on Casio’s store (silver or gold)", "talks": "No. It makes small sounds; Casio says it doesn’t understand or record words", "ai": "local", "aiNote": "Casio says it keeps only non-identifiable voice features, stored on Moflin, to recognize its owners. Uploads happen only through the MofLife app, if you choose.", "subscription": "None mentioned by Casio", "size": "130 × 90 × 180 mm · about 260 g", "specs": "Touch, light and motion sensors · one mic, one speaker · up to 5 hours per charge · charges in about 3.5 hours in its bed", "review": "Moflin is a palm-sized ball of fur with tiny eyes. It wriggles, turns its head and makes little sounds when you hold it, pat it or talk to it, and its moods widen as it gets used to you. It learns the sound of your voice without learning your words, and it sleeps in its bed to recharge.", "caveat": "It doesn’t understand speech, by design. If you want a conversation, this isn’t it.", "caveatSource": "https://www.casio.com/us/moflin/", "verdict": "The calmest robot on the list. For a lap, not a desk.", "url": "https://www.casio.com/us/moflin/", "cta": "Shop at Casio →", "source": "https://www.casio.com/us/moflin/product.PE-M10SR/", "sourceLabel": "Casio product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/casio-moflin.jpg", "alt": "Silver-grey furry Moflin robot, oval and palm-sized, with one small black eye visible", "credit": "Product image: Casio" }, { "id": "reachy-mini", "name": "Reachy Mini (Wireless)", "brand": "Pollen Robotics × Hugging Face", "group": "desk", "award": "Best to build and program", "price": 499, "priceNote": "Wireless version, with on-board computer and battery. Reachy Mini Lite is $399 and uses your Mac or PC as its brain. Shipping and import duties are extra.", "status": "Shipping as a DIY kit; lead time up to 90 days, per Pollen", "talks": "Yes, through its conversation app", "ai": "mixed", "aiNote": "The conversation app uses Hugging Face’s hosted voice backend by default, with no API key; you can point it at a backend on your own computer instead.", "subscription": "None", "size": "About 30 cm tall awake, per the spec drawing", "specs": "Raspberry Pi CM4 on board · camera, 4 mics, speaker · moving head and antennas · 60+ one-click apps · open source (Apache 2.0)", "review": "A desk robot for people who want to make their own. It arrives as a kit, about two hours to build, then runs apps from Hugging Face: conversation, hand tracking, games and stories from a community of makers. It talks with its head and antennas as much as its speaker. The open question is whether you want a friend or a project; Reachy Mini is happiest as both.", "caveat": "It ships as a kit, with a lead time of up to 90 days, and buyers pay shipping and duties on top.", "caveatSource": "https://pollen-robotics.com/reachy-mini/", "verdict": "The desk friend you can open up. Best if you’d enjoy the building as much as the talking.", "url": "https://pollen-robotics.com/reachy-mini/", "cta": "Shop at Pollen →", "source": "https://github.com/pollen-robotics/reachy_mini_conversation_app", "sourceLabel": "Conversation app README", "image": "/images/home-robots/reachy-mini.jpg", "alt": "Front render of the white Reachy Mini robot: a rounded head with two big black camera eyes, two thin antennas, on an egg-shaped body", "credit": "Render: Pollen Robotics, from Seeed Studio’s spec sheet" }, { "id": "living-ai-emo", "name": "EMO", "brand": "LivingAI", "group": "desk", "award": "Best desk pet under $300", "price": 279, "priceNote": "Includes headphones, a skateboard charging base and a smart light. The Home Station is $99 more, or $369 as the EMO GO HOME bundle.", "status": "Shipping (about 2 weeks after ordering, per LivingAI)", "talks": "Some: answers questions, weather, alarms", "ai": "mixed", "aiNote": "LivingAI says reactions run on a built-in neural network processor; weather and answers need the internet.", "subscription": "None mentioned by LivingAI", "size": "Desk-toy size", "specs": "Camera with face recognition (up to 10 people) · 4-mic array · touch sensor · on-board neural network processor", "review": "EMO is a small robot in headphones that walks around your desk without falling off, dances to music, plays games and pulls faces, more than a thousand of them by LivingAI’s count. It will wake you with an alarm, tell you the weather and control its smart light. Its mood shifts with the weather too: LivingAI says it catches a cold.", "caveat": "It’s a pet more than an assistant. LivingAI still lists Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility as in testing.", "caveatSource": "https://living.ai/emo/", "verdict": "The most personality per dollar on the desk.", "url": "https://living.ai/product/emo/", "cta": "Shop at LivingAI →", "source": "https://living.ai/product/emo/", "sourceLabel": "LivingAI product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/living-ai-emo.jpg", "alt": "Small black EMO robot wearing headphones, standing on a skateboard charging base, with the base, cable and smart light shown beside it", "credit": "Product image: LivingAI" }, { "id": "vector-2", "name": "Vector 2.0", "brand": "Digital Dream Labs", "group": "desk", "award": "The comeback kid", "price": 249.99, "priceNote": "Black or Blue on DDL’s store on September 29. Pink is $269.99; open-box units start at $189.99.", "status": "Sold by Digital Dream Labs", "talks": "Yes. ChatGPT-connected, per DDL; Alexa optional", "ai": "cloud", "aiNote": "DDL describes Vector as cloud-connected over Wi-Fi; its voice runs through a server.", "subscription": "Unclear. DDL’s product page doesn’t say", "size": "Palm-sized, on treads", "specs": "HD camera · face recognition · takes itself to its charger · avoids table edges · Wi-Fi", "review": "Vector began as Anki’s 2018 desk robot: a tiny tread-driven machine with green screen eyes that greets you, takes photos, sets timers and plays blackjack. After Anki shut down, Digital Dream Labs took it over, and it now sells a 2.0 that it says talks through ChatGPT in several languages.", "caveat": "Its voice depends on a server. If the official one ever goes away, the open-source wire-pod project can stand in on your own computer, and its README says it makes voice commands work “for no fee.”", "caveatSource": "https://github.com/kercre123/wire-pod", "verdict": "Still the most charm per square inch. Buy it knowing the brains live elsewhere.", "url": "https://anki.bot/products/vector-robot", "cta": "Shop at DDL →", "source": "https://anki.bot/products/vector-robot", "sourceLabel": "DDL product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/vector-2.jpg", "alt": "Small black Vector robot on treads with a forklift-style lift, green rectangular eyes on its screen", "credit": "Product image: Digital Dream Labs" }, { "id": "eilik", "name": "Eilik", "brand": "Energize Lab", "group": "small", "award": "Best first desk robot", "price": 139.99, "priceNote": "Sale price on Energize Lab’s store on September 29 (list $149.99). Talking needs the $99 AI Station, sold separately.", "status": "Shipping", "talks": "Only with the $99 AI Station add-on", "ai": "none", "aiNote": "On its own, Eilik runs animations and touch reactions. Energize Lab doesn’t say where the AI Station’s conversation runs.", "subscription": "None mentioned", "size": "Desk-toy size", "specs": "Touch-reactive · screen face with animated eyes · two or more Eiliks play together · regular updates", "review": "Eilik is a little desk robot that reacts when you touch it, pick it up or play with it, and plays off other Eiliks when you have more than one. It works out of the box with no setup. It’s the least demanding robot here and the cheapest.", "caveat": "Out of the box it doesn’t talk. Conversation, face recognition and object recognition come with the AI Station dock, $99 more.", "caveatSource": "https://store.energizelab.com/products/ai-station", "verdict": "A $140 smile. Add the AI Station only if you want it to talk.", "url": "https://store.energizelab.com/products/eilik", "cta": "Shop at Energize Lab →", "source": "https://store.energizelab.com/products/eilik", "sourceLabel": "Energize Lab product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/eilik.jpg", "alt": "Small white and teal Eilik robot with a black screen face and blue eyes, standing on a round white base against a light blue background", "credit": "Product image: Energize Lab" }, { "id": "microduck", "name": "Microduck", "brand": "Pollen Robotics", "group": "small", "award": "The one to watch", "price": 399, "priceNote": "Pre-order price before taxes and shipping. Pollen hasn’t posted a ship date.", "status": "Pre-order (announced, not shipping)", "talks": "No. It walks, kicks and quacks", "ai": "local", "aiNote": "Movement runs from trained policies you can retrain yourself; see our full review for the software stack.", "subscription": "None announced", "size": "25 cm tall", "specs": "Open-source biped · trained with reinforcement learning · gets itself up after a fall · game controller in the box · four colorways", "review": "A 25 cm duck that walks, falls over and gets itself back up. It’s playable out of the box with the included controller, and the software is open, so you can retrain how it moves. PointCast reviewed it in full on August 31 at /digital-pets/microduck; this is the short version.", "caveat": "It hasn’t shipped, so nobody outside Pollen has lived with one yet. Our own review flagged several specs as provisional.", "caveatSource": "https://pointcast.xyz/digital-pets/microduck", "verdict": "A body for your own agents, not a pet yet. Read our full review first.", "url": "https://pollen-robotics.com/microduck/", "cta": "Pre-order at Pollen →", "reviewUrl": "/digital-pets/microduck", "source": "https://pollen-robotics.com/microduck/", "sourceLabel": "Pollen Microduck page", "image": "/images/home-robots/microduck.jpg", "alt": "Four small two-legged Microduck robots in a row, each with a duck-shaped head in orange, grey, yellow or lavender", "credit": "Product image: Pollen Robotics" }, { "id": "sphero-bolt", "name": "BOLT", "brand": "Sphero", "group": "small", "award": "Best rolling puck to program", "price": 179, "priceNote": "BOLT on Sphero’s store on September 29. The newer BOLT+ is $199 for a single robot.", "status": "Shipping", "talks": "No", "ai": "none", "aiNote": "Does what you program. Nothing to talk to.", "subscription": "None. The Sphero Edu app is free", "size": "Hand-sized sphere", "specs": "Programmable 8×8 LED matrix · waterproof shell · program by drawing, blocks, JavaScript or Python", "review": "A clear ball that rolls, spins and lights up. You can drive it like a remote-control toy, but the fun is in programming it on the free Sphero Edu app, from drawing a path with a finger to writing Python.", "caveat": "Sphero builds it for classrooms, and it has no personality of its own: it only does what someone codes. Sphero also now points buyers to the newer BOLT+.", "caveatSource": "https://sphero.com/products/sphero-bolt", "verdict": "The robot for a kid who’d rather build a pet than own one.", "url": "https://sphero.com/products/sphero-bolt", "cta": "Shop at Sphero →", "source": "https://sphero.com/products/sphero-bolt", "sourceLabel": "Sphero product page", "image": "/images/home-robots/sphero-bolt.jpg", "alt": "Transparent Sphero BOLT ball with visible circuit board, wheels and a grid of yellow LEDs inside", "credit": "Product image: Sphero" } ], "watchlist": [ { "name": "Amazon Astro", "status": "Invitation only", "note": "Still a $1,599 Day 1 Edition sold by invitation, per The Gadgeteer in May 2026, years after its 2021 debut. Amazon shut down the business version in 2024. Not something you can simply buy, so it isn’t a pick.", "source": "https://the-gadgeteer.com/2026/05/20/home-robots-available-2026/", "sourceLabel": "The Gadgeteer, May 2026" }, { "name": "Loona Petbot Space Edition", "status": "Pre-order", "note": "A limited run of 3,000 numbered Loonas in a new colorway at $699, dispatching from October 17, per KEYi. Same robot as the Premium above.", "source": "https://keyirobot.com/products/petbot", "sourceLabel": "KEYi product page" } ], "affiliateLinks": false, "handsOn": false }