One of the major starting points of the discussion is the robotic cat pillow. At first sight, it makes little sense: a round, fur-covered pillow wagging as it is being animaled.
Nevertheless, this is a dry, silent comfort for people in a country with a growing population such as Japan, who are unable to afford the time or expense of a real pet.
Yukai Engineering also debuted Petit Qoobo at CES next week for those who could not bear Qoobo’s price (currently listed as $149 plus $50 shipping on Amazon). The bases are the same, but the younger sibling of Qoobo is around half the size and is more than half the price.
A version of the smaller pillow is still in use and a crowdfunding campaign was launched in March for Japan. Shipments will be made via Amazon and Yukai’s site sometime in the fall.
