I wouldn’t go so far as to say he was dethroned, but – now has some serious competition for the title of cutest robot in CES 2025. I just met Ropet, a wide-eyed robot companion with warm, soft fur, little flapping arms, and big feelings. And damn, this thing is adorable.
Ropet’s only mission is to love and be loved. Think of it like a living stuffed animal; he has a personality, will listen to your darkest secrets without judgment, and will reach out to hug you when you’re sad. Its appearance is customizable and it has optional ChatGPT integration, so it’s there if you want it for advanced conversations with the bot but you don’t have to. His little button nose is a camera that he uses for face and object recognition; Ropet can identify and bond more closely with its owner, but it will also remember other people. All of this data is stored and processed locally, meaning it never leaves the device itself.
If you don’t trust it (just), you can keep Ropet entirely disconnected from the Internet, and it will still be able to perform all of its functions without ChatGPT. This includes reacting to audio, touch and gesture inputs. If you pet or cuddle him, his expression will change to visible happiness. Or, it may seem cranky if you shake it. (What are you, evil? Don’t do that). Show him one of the few objects he knows, like a hot dog or a banana, and you’ll see an emoji appear in his eyes. You can give him a “shh” signal to calm him down, and he will dance if you listen to music.
We’re at the point in CES week where we’re all running on steam, and Ropet brought some unexpected childish joy to this burned-out gremlin for a few minutes. Emotional robot companions are ubiquitous at CES, but the ones that actually possess some degree of intelligence generally aren’t as cuddly. And the cuddly ones are usually not very intelligent and tend to be more like animatronics. Ropet looks a bit like a fluffy baby seal – but not realistic enough to dive into eerie valley territory – and its body radiates heat to simulate the feeling of holding a living creature.
It’s hard not to make comparisons to Furby, which is probably the best-known example of a robotic creature that responds to voice and touch commands. But Ropet takes the idea to another level. You can change his eye color in the app and buy different face plates and furs if you want to mix things up or just can’t decide on the look you want. There are also little outfits you can purchase.
A Kickstarter campaign for Ropet successfully raised $228,091, far surpassing its goal of $1,285. So I’m definitely not the only one who thinks this little guy looks pretty promising. There are two purchasing options for anyone interested: Ropet Basic ($299), which comes with a case and USB-C charging cord, and Ropet Pro ($329), which comes with these items as well as a charging base. loading with light effects. and lets Ropet spin a little. The Kickstarter doesn’t end until January 21, so if you grab it before then, you can get it for a significantly cheaper price. Advance orders are expected to start shipping in March, with the rest launching globally later this year.
Now we sit back and see if Ropet will follow in Furby’s footsteps to develop its own slightly sinister tradition that will endure for decades.
