8-10 years ago, my elderly/disabled mom wanted a dog for company but knew she couldn't care for it. I would have bought her a (already discontinued) Sony Aibo in a heartbeat, but she wanted it to be life-like (furry) rather than techno. I scoured the internet for months, then years, thinking that this 'comfort tech' was surely just around the corner.
What's the hold-up? Just stick some fake fur and eyeballs on a self-docking Roomba module and let it come out (autonomously) and bark and wag its tail. That's all I needed. It's a decade later, so maybe throw in a little AI to make it come when called.
Damn it, still makes me mad. Ping me if/when there is such a thing.
