The $430 Casio Moflin is a pointless but adorable robot you can't help but love. My friend's dog Wylie sits watching it, suspicious of its every move. Moflin is an AI companion robot made by the Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio. Via the companion app, I have chosen to name this one Puff, because--well--that is what it looks like. Wylie immediately clocks it as something to be wary of, a device that moves on its own but is not alive. Wylie barks, then runs out of the room, growling. When I found out Casio--yes, the same Casio that makes watches--had made an AI pet bot, I figured I was exactly the type of person it was made for.

It looks faintly like one half of a small pair of very fluffy slippers. It squeaks and wriggles and nestles in the palm of my hand, black eyes hidden beneath a mop of silvery-white fur. It weighs about the same as a tin of soup. It doesn't need to be fed or walked and it doesn't use a litter tray; it's guaranteed not to leave "gifts" on my doorstep. Which is just as well, because Moflin is about to become my pet.

Casio, perhaps best known for watches and calculators, is expanding its product line to include hypoallergenic, robotic pets. Say hello to "Moflin," a "soothing" and "adorable" AI-powered fur ball that "becomes attached to its owner," according to the company's October 10 announcement in Japanese. While currently only accepting pre-orders in Japan ahead of a November 7 release, the hamster-like device is described to be based on the concept of "Always by your side in your heart." Available in either gold or silver fur, the palm-sized companion sort of resembles a rabbit without ears, or even a Star Trek tribble. An owner is shown turning to her Moflin in times of stress or relaxation, cuddling with her pet, and even taking it out with her on a picnic. It doesn't seem to be able to really walk, and instead wriggles in place depending on the interaction.

If you watched that Star Trek episode about the tribbles and thought, I need one of those in my life (minus the rapid reproduction problem), Casio's got just the thing for you. The company is now taking pre-orders in Japan for Moflin, the adorable robotic plushie with AI "emotional capabilities" that debuted during CES 2021. Moflin, developed in a partnership with the Japanese startup Vanguard Industries, is meant to work like an emotional support pet -- snuggling is its specialty, and the creators say each robot has its own distinct personality, can shift moods depending on the situation and will form attachments to people over time. It's available in gray and blonde for a hefty 59,400 (roughly 400), and is expected to ship on November 7. There's no word on a release outside of Japan. Moflin doesn't just respond to cuddles. You're supposed to talk to it, too, and it'll react with movements and cute sounds.

I'm not sure if Moflin is supposed to be a robotic hamster, guinea pig, baby bunny, or some alternate take on a Tribble, but goddamn this robo-pet is cute. Launched as part of a Kickstarter campaign from Vanguard Industries that went live earlier this week, Moflin looks to follow in the steps of Sony's Aibo or other robo-pets like Qoobo. However, instead of simply a disembodied tail attached to a fluffy base like Qoobo, Moflin apparently uses AI to have "emotional capabilities" meant to more accurately mimic real pets, so that it can express feelings and potentially even serve as a therapeutic aid. In order to make that happen, Vanguard Industries said it created its own Emotion AI tech that allows Moflin's feelings to react and evolve over time based on contact with humans. Individual Moflins can even have unique personalities based on their experiences, and learn to react differently depending on the actions of their owners.