Colin Angle, the maker of the Roomba and the man who helped put 50 million household robots into people’s homes, is back with a new robot. But this one is designed as a companion, not a cleaner.

The first robot from Angle’s new company, Familiar Machines & Magic , is a dog-sized robotic pet that resembles a cross between a bear, a barn owl, and a golden retriever. It has an expressive face, with movable eyebrows, ears, and eyes, and the company calls it a “Familiar,” a name meant to evoke folklore around the idea of a supernatural companion. Based on a demo video I saw ahead of its appearance at the WSJ Future of Everything conference this week, the quadruped robot can move around your home on all fours independently, like a pet.

The Familiar is a “physically embodied AI system” that will use generative AI, via an on-device model, to engage with its owner with the intent of forming an emotional connection and develop “a distinct personality,” Angle told me in an interview.…