credit: third party image reference
Tombow is going to steal your heart: it's a very realistic robot dog that moves and behaves like a real one. It is designed to improve the quality of life of older people with dementia.
Numerous scientific studies reveal that adopting a pet has various health benefits. Animals keep us company, eliminate negative feelings associated with loneliness and produce happiness, relieve depression, and reduce stress, among other advantages.
The problem is that pets also require a number of care that some people can't offer, such as the elderly who suffer from physical problems or have dementia. So that these people can also enjoy the benefits of having a pet has been born Tombot, a super realistic robot dog that moves and behaves like a real one.
According to its developers, Tombot is the most realistic robotic dog in the world and, as you can see below in the following video, the animal is very accomplished.
credit: third party image reference
To reproduce the movements and behavior of a real dog, Tombot equips touch sensors throughout the body. Thanks to this, the robot is able to react depending on how and where they touch it. It can also respond to the user's voice, so it performs actions when you speak to them.
To give it greater realism, this robot dog can bark and emit the sounds that a specimen of its breed would make. It has a wide repertoire of recordings of a 12-week-old labrador puppy, so its reactions are accompanied by real sounds.
credit: third party image reference
As we said at the beginning, Tombot's main goal is to help older people and other patients with health problems. Its developers explain that it is perfect for treating stress, anxiety, loneliness, or depression. It offers all the benefits of a real pet but with the advantage that it is not a living being that requires care.
It works thanks to a battery that can be recharged simply, has an app to name the puppy, customize functionalities, and check the history of interactions, and also, its software is updated periodically.
Tombow secured the necessary funding to launch the product to market through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Now, the company is manufacturing the "new litter" of robotic puppies and you can book one on the official website from 399 dollars (336 euros to the current change).