NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Jun 20, 2016) - We've all dreamt of it for decades: a robotic assistant that becomes more than just an appliance, and more like part of the family. That time is now. Domgy, the first intelligent pet robot, is an adorable, family friendly robot with rich expressions and a warm personality. A prototype was unveiled at Pepcom Digital Experience in New York on June 16.

Domgy was presented by IPL (Innovative Play Lab, a Korea company invested by ROOBO in early 2015). Domgy's advanced image recognition (both face and gesture) technology not only identifies your face, but it can also read your gestures, even your moods. And its state-of-the art AI voice system enables you to speak naturally to it as it answers and interacts with you. ROOBO started to bring Domgy from prototype to mass production in China since 2015 and will release it in next a few months.

"Domgy was developed to give people a companion, a friend. With loneliness being one of modern society's ills, pets can make you less lonely and research says even help you live longer," said Bruce Liu, Co-founder and CEO at ROOBO. "So, what we've created is a character with personality. Domgy recognizes your face and voice, and he talks to you like a friend. He helps you send special messages and videos to loved ones, and helps you connect with your family and friends, transcending isolation and loneliness."

The name "Domgy" comes from "My Dog" which happens when you flip the letters around. Essentially, Domgy is a family pet that can follow its owners about and interact with them. The 8.9-inch robot has a large face which allows it to express emotions and display information or digital content. The body's arms and legs add a life-like element and provide remarkable flexibility and 360 degree movements. Its wheels move around your space and have built-in obstacle avoidance. Its cameras help it get around, and to take photos or videos.

What can Domgy do?
Domgy can do a wide-ranging range of things, and unlike a lot of consumer robots on the market, this adorable pet is both functional and fun. With its unique AI capabilities, you can teach Domgy to do different things based on voice commands and visual cues:

• Be your "Omnipotent" Helper -- Domgy is like a capable family assistant who can help you manage everyday life, like scheduling appointments or reminding you to take medicine, or remind you to take an umbrella or wash your car per the weather forecast.
  
  
• Serve as your Home Automation Assistant -- Want to get rid of all those cumbersome remote controls? Domgy makes life easier and better by acting as part of your home automation system to control devices, such as the television, sound systems or smart appliances.
  
  
• Be a Smart Playmate -- Flexible like a dancer, Domgy has several joints, and is more than happy to do show his dance moves should you command him to. He can play music and videos and even play games like Bingo. Kids will also enjoy puzzle games and learn while having fun.
  
  
• Be a Home Protector -- Domgy reassures you and your family members by patrolling your empty house to keep you safe. If it hears any unusual noise or sees something abnormal, like an unauthorized person entering the house, Domgy will promptly alert you. You can even set up "danger" zones in the house where kids or elderly members can't go.
  
  
• Enthusiastic Learner -- With Domgy's AI programming capabilities you can teach it new things. You can combine functions yourself just like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, such as choreographing a dance for Domgy, designing a route for it to send a surprise present to another family member, etc.
  
  
• Inspiring Teacher -- While teaching Domgy, Domgy can also teach you and your kids the joy of programming basics. With features like graphic programming, custom service reminders, and more, Domgy will inspire you to get creative while enhancing your ability to customize Domgy's capabilities.
  
  

At the heart of Domgy is a MTK processor, a 5M camera, and wireless connections via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infrared. Its sensors include light, ambient and object temperature, humidity, accelerometer, and gyroscope. In addition, when its batteries run low, the robot hunts for its charging station to recharge itself.

Availability
A fully functional prototype of Domgy will be available later this year with plans for several crowdfunding campaigns.

About IPL
Established in 2014, IPL is a robotics startup. It is the sole robotic company developing social robots in Korea and the core team has more than 10 years' experience in developing robots. The team's previous project includes engkey for KIST, mentioned in NYT as one of the world's pioneering inventions, and kibot1 and kibot2. Kibot2 is the first Android OS-based educational home robot for children. Kitbot2 seller Korea Telecom has sold 50,000 units in Korea to-date.

About ROOBO
Founded in 2014, ROOBO is a consumer robotics pioneer and industry leader whose products are already being used in millions of homes around the world. ROOBO is focused on integrating cutting-edge AI and robotic technology to enhance the interactive experience to create a smarter and better life. The company has offices in Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu, Seoul, Moscow and Seattle. For more information, visit: www.roobo.com.

Editor's Notes:
ROOBO's press kit comprised of images, fact sheet, Domgy brochure is accessible here.