Kiki is the robotic sidekick that develops based on your interactions

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Growing up in the ’80s, all I wanted was a robot sidekick to get into trouble adventures with. I mean, with movies like Short Circuit, Batteries Not Included, Flight of the Navigator and the peppy droids in Star Wars, who didn’t? Now, thanks to advances in both robotics and AI, I can live out those dreams, with robotic pals like Kiki.

Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the $799 Kiki is cute, full of brains, and grows based on your interactions. Yes, your Kiki can turn out just as neurotic as you.

Kiki is the robot sidekick we all wanted growing up

Listen, Kiki isn’t there to organize your life. At best, she’s there to offer some emotional support, or maybe some bonds of friendship that our always-online world doesn’t always provide. She’s a pet for people who don’t like all the mess a pet brings, or a companion for those who prefer to be left alone.

• All Kiki’s are the same when first delivered. Over time, your interactions and quirks help Kiki develop those of her own
• You can feed her virtual food in the app, but make sure it’s something she likes! Don’t overfeed her either, just like a real pet it’ll make Kiki ill
• The AI behind Kiki’s interactions took the team years to develop
• All of Kiki’s reactions aren’t hard-coded, so Kiki will learn from your responses to her tricks and adjust to suit your personality
• Kiki dreams to learn, just like a person, and can play you back her dreams in the morning

If the thought of an emotional bond with a robopet appeals to you, the project is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter for another 59 days. You can help bring Kiki to market for $799, 47-percent off the eventual retail price.

Just remember, crowdfunding is a way to help bring cool things to the market, not necessarily a guarantee that you’ll end up with what you backed, or at the time the campaign was scheduled to deliver.

What do you think? Interested in this robotic companion? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Amazon is making a home robot – Repeat, Amazon is making a home robot
• Scientists are now teaching robots to fight back because humanity is on borrowed time anyways
• iRobot is back with a duo of home-cleaning robots to keep your floors clean
• Google has confirmed that the Pixel 4 will have touch-free gestures

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.