Yukai Engineering to Unveil ‘Petit Qoobo,’ Mischievous ‘Sibling’ of Qoobo the Tail-Wagging Pillow, at CES 2020
Jan. 6, 2020
At CES 2020 to be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 through Jan. 10, Yukai Engineering Inc. will unveil “Petit Qoobo,” a prototype companion of Qoobo, the company’s wildly popular tail-wagging therapeutic pillow developed for people who cannot own pets. Designed as a pet alternative that provides comfort to its users anywhere, Petit Qoobo comes in a compact size – small enough to fit in a purse.
During CES, Yukai will also demonstrate BOCCO emo, a prototype communication robot with advanced personalization features, and the Create-a-Creature Robot Kit.
About Petit Qoobo
Petit Qoobo is one-size smaller than the original Qoobo. Petit Qoobo has many features that are designed to remind users of baby animals. It spontaneously moves its tail in reaction to the surrounding natural soundscape – be it the sound of clapping, or one’s breathing in response to one’s stroking and rubbing – just like skittish, sweet baby animals would do. These are new features that the original Qoobo does not have. Petit Qoobo excitedly wags its short tail in an attempt to warm your heart.
What’s special about Petit Qoobo:
・So small you can bring it anywhere
・Wags in response to sounds and voices
・Occasionally vibrates to let you know it’s breathing
Story Behind Qoobo
The idea for Qoobo came from a Yukai staff designer who wished to have something waiting for her to come home at the end of a long workday while living in a pet-free apartment. Drawing inspiration from an animal’s tail, Yukai created a robot that communicates solely through tail movements – without relying on sounds or facial expressions – to comfort humans in just the way cats and dogs would. The company’s engineers studied the animal tail and created a mechanism that closely mimics its movements. The development team also paid extra attention to Qoobo’s weight and texture to recreate the feeling of cuddling a real pet.
What’s Next
・A crowdfunding campaign for Petit Qoobo is expected to soon begin on “Crowdfunding@CAPMPFIRE’!
・The latest news about Petit Qoobo will be posted on its website: https://qoobo.info/
・Petit Qoobo is expected for a November 2020 release.
* Petit Qoobo is still under development, and its specifications may change without notice.
Qoobo
Qoobo is a robotic pillow with a lifelike tail that makes realistic moves in response to the user’s stroking and rubbing. It is designed to comfort people who cannot own a pet, including allergy sufferers, apartment-dwellers and busy professionals. The flexible tail gently waves when caressed and swings playfully when rubbed. Qoobo became one of the most talked-about gadgets on the internet after it was unveiled at CEATEC Japan 2017, netting more than 10 million online video views. So far, more than 15,000 units of Qoobo have been sold. In response to our fans’ feedback, we released Qoobo in the new Silky Black color on Nov. 1, 2019. Studies have found the use of Qoobo is effective in stress reduction as well as in improving the well-being of seniors. (https://qoobo.info/)
Qoobo’s video story is now available!
The video was shot in New York City, using Qoobo in all three different colors. The story reflects our vision of how and when Qoobo can comfort people.
A story of a young woman and Qoobo:
“When I left home to live on my own, my mom gave Qoobo to me.”