Colin Angle, the guy who co-founded iRobot and helped put robot vacuums in millions of homes, just unveiled his new company and forthcoming product. The new venture is called Familiar Machines & Magic and it's making robots for companionship, and not for sweeping floors.

They are called Familiars and are being described as "physically embodied AI systems to perceive, adapt and interact with people in ways that feel natural and consistent." That sounds like a pet, but with loyalty and love replaced by algorithms.

"The next era of robotics is not just about dexterity or humanoid form — it's about machines that can build and sustain human connection," he said at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference .…