Casio is bringing a $400 AI-powered emotional support animal to market

For kids of the 90s and 2000s who had a bad relationship with FurReal Friends or Tomagotchis, this adorable robot pet wants to be the answer to your adult stress – If you have a few hundred dollars lying around.

The latest in AI pets, the Moflin is a mysterious and featureless robotic pet marketed not as a toy, but as a mental health companion. The fluff ball – which resembles a legless pig or a stealthy Ghibli creature – moves around and makes sounds just like the usual pet toys that have appeared in stores. But its AI brain is designed to change its state of mind depending on the situation, and recognize and form attachments to its human “caretakers”.

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It will also cost its prospective recipients ￥59,400, or $398. Plus a $44 annual maintenance service called Club Moflin.

The AI-powered plushie debuted at CES 2021, billed by its developer Vanguard Industries as a pet robot with emotional powers, able to intuitively learn from its owners to offer friendship. Now in collaboration with technology company Casio, the mysterious pet has entered the market.

Moflin owners must access the app to see their pet’s emotional state, which reflects and responds to personal attitudes and care. Each robot also has its own unique personality, according to the company, but they all enjoy “celebrating.” They also fill themselves in their little bed. A quick YouTube search for Moflin shows owners dressing them in skimpy clothes, walking around in baskets, and tucking them under fuzzy blankets.

Moflin is currently up for pre-order and will be available for purchase in Nov. 7 for Japanese customers. Casio is yet to announce a wider release.