Kuri

Kuri is a new robot for the home that's part assistant, part pet – but definitely isn't aiming to bring another human-like presence into the household (like Alexa).

Kuri can be voice-controlled, but the robot communicates only in a robot language of beeps and bloops, along with through facial expressions and head movements. Kuri responds affectionately to being petted, for instance.

The robot is on wheels and can map its surroundings, and one use case is asking Kuri to investigate what's going on in another room of the house. The robot is being developed by Mayfield Robotics, a Bosch-owned startup in Redwood City, Calif. Pre-orders for Kuri are available now for $699, and the robot is expected to ship for the 2017 holiday season.