Who wants to stroke this pussycat?

Skanky Vamp

Skanky Vamp

Sniffin' the Slayer
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Black Thorn
Reposted from Verge

Do you enjoy the sensation of petting a cat or dog, but hate the unconditional love and the fact that they have heads and limbs? Japanese company Yukai Engineering has unveiled the solution to this classic conundrum with Qoobo: a soft, round cushion with a robotic tail that reacts to strokes, just as a loving pet would.

The process to healing is easy: just give it a good pat and watch the cushion’s tail wag softly in response. It’ll also wag and curl the tail on its own, via an accelerometer in the pillow.

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Qoobo
Qoobo is expected to cost around $100 when it launches in June 2018. Like with its adorable Bocco robot that was delivered with Kickstarter, the company is hoping to launch Qoobo with the help of a crowdfunding platform, Engadget reports. It’ll have an eight-hour battery life with USB charging, and will come in two colors: husky gray and French brown.

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Qoobo
Personally, I’m allergic to cats and I live in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets, so Qoobo could be perfect for me. It also doesn’t fill your living room with litter box smell or try to eat things it will puke back up in an hour, so that’s Qoobo: 1, Real Cats: 0. Your move, cats.
 
Sure beats the annoyances of taking care of an actual animal.

Can't say I feel any need to stroke a pillow with a moving tail though.
That would do nothing for me.

/SK
 
If the damn thing was cat shaped it would be different. As it is it looks like roadkill.
 
Their designer said, and I quote "In development, we stuck to the good feeling of weight, size feeling and pleasant feeling when stroking"
 
brinkster130
brinkster130
Looks like a coon hat
but hate the unconditional love and the fact that they have heads and limbs?

Worst part about having a dog - unconditional love, head and other limbs. Can't tell you how many times I've been like - gees, that gosh darn head constantly gets in the way of me enjoying quality time with you, dog! 😛

I mean, I guess it's a good alternative for people who can't have pets but I mean... it's not a "loving pet" no matter how much that tail wags. It's a vibrating pillow. I don't see how that could be comforting. Pets are great because they're little individuals that you share a bond with. This is like getting a doll because kids are a pain in the ass, so yeah... I guess I don't get it. But as a petowner I suppose I wouldn't. 🙂
 
Taake said:
I don't see how that could be comforting.
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Because you can stroke it.

There have been clinical reports that it's relaxing when you stroke it. While I do agree the act of stroking is relaxing I think also because what you're stroking has a face and you can see the enjoyment your stroke brings about in it's face. The fact this is an expressionless stroking I think would limit the chemical response found when stroking real critters. Throw an animatronic head on the pillow that can look at you and smile and then you might have something.
 
If it had a face it would make more sense, but maybe they think it'd look too much like a toy then?

I don't think I could get one either way because I'd be afraid it'd get overheated and catch fire. Probably an irrational fear, but that was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw it.
 
Finally realized what it reminds me of... a roomba!
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Now if they made a furry roomba with a wagging tail THAT would be cool! You could watch the cat run all over the house (cleaning as it goes) but then you could still cuddle with it and let it wag its tail at you. At least it would serve a more practical purpose as well as a holistic one.
 
Mr. Pole said:
Now if they made a furry roomba with a wagging tail THAT would be cool! You could watch the cat run all over the house (cleaning as it goes) but then you could still cuddle with it and let it wag its tail at you. At least it would serve a more practical purpose as well as a holistic one.
Click to expand...

 
Um....I'm going to go with "a world of no". I love actual dogs (and cats, but like, way less). What the heck is that going to do for me? What would I get out of it? Can it cuddle with me? Will it lick my face? Will it catch the frisbee when I throw it? Will it show me pure and unconditional love? These are the questions that need answering.

Side note, I was not thinking pure when I first read that thread title. Just saying. 😀😛
 
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