I officially got to the quarantine point where a fart cat robot took first place on my wish list. I’m talking specifically about Nicobo – Panasonic’s companion robot.
Seen for the first time by Gizmodo, Nicobo does not do much more than wag his tail, turn around, blink his eyes and talk a little. Oh, and also fart when you feel like it. It also looks more like a plush sock than a cat, but it’s still very cute anyway.
Hidden inside, however, are some very advanced features. Using built-in microphones and cameras, Nicobo can recognize your face and voice, as well as turn to you. And, with touch sensors, it knows when you’re stroking or hugging.
However, protecting your own Nicobo is not as simple as clicking the “order” button. According to Gizmodo, Panasonic plans to manufacture just 320 units for about $ 360 each, all of which are already sold out in pre-order. The production of these sock robots has not started either – the company is trying to raise 10,000,000 yen (about $ 95,000) through crowdfunding first.
And just when you thought that spending more than $ 300 was enough for Nicobo, you were stuck with additional expenses. After six months with it, you will have to shell out about $ 10 a month to connect it to your smartphone and also receive software updates.
I probably wouldn’t say that if any other product was so expensive, but for a lilac companion like Nicobo, the money strangely seems to be worth it. Then again, maybe I just need to get out of my apartment more often.