friend

Bill Swarm, C&O Canal Towpath, June 13, 2020

Japanese car maker Toyota plans to sell a “companion robot” next year for about $400 in the hopes it will serve as a friend to lonely people. [1]
At just 4 inches tall, the robot – Kirobo Mini – speaks in a high-pitched baby voice, and will hit the market in Japan in 2017. [2]