Better late than never—I finally got around to playing with COZMO, the AI-powered robot I’d been neglecting. Unexpectedly… I’m hooked.

Above all, it’s adorable.
It’s palm-sized at 10 centimeters long, but it definitely looks like a bulldozer-style robot that moves on caterpillar tracks.However, its rapidly changing facial expressions, comical movements, and the sounds it makes—everything about it is endearing and really tugs at your heartstrings. The subtle gestures of its eyes, hands, and head perfectly capture the robot’s “mischievous” nature.

When powered on, COZMO wakes up with a yawn, escapes from the charger on his own, and slowly begins exploring his surroundings.

COZMO plays by himself. He moves around autonomously; when he reaches the edge of the desk, he stops as if to say, “Oops!”; and when he finds a cube, he picks it up, carries it, and stacks it.It’s heartwarming to watch, like a small animal playing with a toy. It’s amazing how smoothly it can recognize and pick up a cube from a distance.

But after a while, perhaps getting bored, it comes over as if to say, “Play with me!”
If you have it recognize and register your face, it will spot you and call you by name. It makes you feel like you have to play with it.
There are games designed to test your speed and memory against COZMO. “Quick Touch,” where you tap the cube when it lights up the same color. “Keep Away,” where you bring the cube close to COZMO and pull it away the moment he tries to tap it. “Memory Match,” where you memorize the order in which the cubes light up and tap them accordingly.
“Keep Away,” in particular, has me seriously engaged in a game of wits with COZMO. The background music during the game also heightens the sense of immersion. What’s more, COZMO gradually levels up—even as I get tired and my reactions slow down.

When you win, COZMO laughs with joy; when you lose, it sulks and gets downcast. It’s just like a living creature with emotions. It communicates effectively with humans, and children often play with the robot for as long as an hour. It’s already their friend. But it’s also a pet that needs care—like recharging its battery and regular maintenance.

You can control it like a remote-controlled car, or use programming to create its movements. Since the image from the camera mounted on its face is displayed on your smartphone, exploring the entire room from COZMO’s perspective creates a truly surreal feeling. In Code Lab, you can create movements, facial expressions, and conversations, giving you the sensation of breathing life into the robot.

Finally, it returns to its charger and drifts off to sleep, snoring softly.
Good night. See you tomorrow.
A friend who’s always by your side. Maybe Doraemon’s debut is just around the corner?