PEOPLE suffering from loneliness and depression can combat isolation with an emotional support robot named Romi, but the technology comes at a price.
Romi, a tiny AI robot, was designed to provide comfort and understanding to users. It was unveiled at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The robot can have casual chats with people, helping them feel less alone. However, companionship isn’t free – the robot costs about $570, with a new model, Romi Lacatan, retailed for $580, plus a $12 monthly subscription fee.
Romi is a conversation robot created by Mixi Inc. that uses AI to have casual chats with people to help them feel less alone. It can greet users and welcome them home, ask about their day, remember previous conversations, and adapt to moods. The robot was designed to comfort lonely people and has even been implemented in nursing homes in Japan to help them connect with others.
A representative from Mixi, Scott Paik, said, “A simple example is for a lot of people who are a bit more socially isolated, they don’t have someone to really talk to. So they might go a full day without speaking. But in the morning, Romi will say ‘good morning’ and when you’re back from work, Romi will say, ‘welcome home.'”
Romi can ask users questions, unlike typical AI which usually only answers questions. The robot is currently being sold in Japan and can only speak Japanese. However, some models are being sold on eBay for prices ranging from $446 to $531.
The robot, which is about the size of an Amazon Echo, has a digital face with eyes and can make over 150 expressions. It can also understand its surroundings and remember previous conversations. The robot was designed to comfort lonely people, and its features could help the rising problem of isolation, as a third of Americans feel lonely at least once a week, according to a study last year by the American Psychiatric Association.
Romi’s features include:
* Greeting users
* Welcoming users home
* Adapting to moods
* Asking about your day
* Remembering previous conversations
* Understanding its surroundings
Romi has won an innovation award in the robotics category at CES 2025 and is currently working on adapting the robot to different languages and cultures. There are currently no confirmed plans to expand across the globe, but Romi’s efforts to combat isolation might also save lives, as research by Harvard University revealed long-term loneliness can increase a person’s risk of stroke by 56%, along with other health issues.