Amid the flashing lights and buzzing gadgets of CES 2026, robotic pets are making a big splash.
(Courtesy Kenny Fried)
Courtesy Kenny Fried
(Courtesy Kenny Fried)
Courtesy Kenny Fried
(Courtesy Kenny Fried)
Courtesy Kenny Fried
(Courtesy Kenny Fried)
Courtesy Kenny Fried
(Courtesy Kenny Fried)
Courtesy Kenny Fried
Amid the flashing lights and buzzing gadgets of CES 2026, robotic pets are making a big splash.
From Ludens AI’s fuzzy “Cocomo” duo that follow owners around the home, to the Vbot pup offering video and smart assistance, and Loona’s playful interactive bot, these autonomous companions are turning heads — mostly in CES’ Eureka Park startup zone.
But one visionary company is pushing boundaries beyond the convention floor: Santa Clarita, California-based Tombot.
At Tombot’s immersive, homelike booth in the Venetian Expo, the company is showcasing Jennie, its hyperrealistic robotic golden retriever puppy. Even more impressively, Tombot took Jennie into the real world for hands-on demonstrations at senior living communities.
“Showing Jennie in a booth is one thing, but proving her impact in everyday settings is something else entirely,” said Tombot CEO and founder Tom Stevens.
On Monday, Stevens and his team spent hours at MorningStar at The Canyons in Las Vegas and Merrill Gardens at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, letting residents interact directly with multiple Jennies.
The responses were heartfelt. Resident Margaret Botts, cradling a Jennie, exclaimed, “She wants to go home with me!”
She marveled at the realistic details.
“I can actually feel her heartbeat,” Botts said. “When I stroke her, it seems to go faster — like she’s really enjoying it.”
For Botts, who lost her beloved dog years ago and can no longer walk a real pet due to mobility issues, the encounter evoked deep emotions.
“I had a dog for 14 years, and I still miss him,” she said. “This brings back that joy without the challenges.”
Her husband, Bill Botts, a retired electrical engineer with a fondness for artificial intelligence, agreed.
“It’s great, especially for seniors who feel isolated in their apartments,” Bill said. “This provides genuine companionship — far beyond a stuffed toy. It feels real.”
Though he joked Margaret might only share Jennie “once or twice a month,” both praised the $1,500 price point as reasonable for such advanced technology.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Bill said.
Merrill Gardens General Manager Dawn Aragon noted the profound effect the technology has: “The residents absolutely loved it. You could see the joy on their faces — this brought real happiness to our community.”
Jennie, modeled after an eight to 10-week-old puppy and developed in collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, is no ordinary robot. Fully autonomous, she responds to voice, touch and movement with lifelike behaviors, including a detectable “heartbeat,” tail wags and authentic puppy sounds recorded from real dogs.
Designed for safety — no floor roaming to avoid tripping hazards — Jennie is built for lap-based interaction, with all-day battery life and easy cleaning.
Founder Tom Stevens was inspired to create Jennie after having to remove his dementia-affected mother’s real dog for safety reasons, a loss that deepened her loneliness. After nine years of research and development, Tombot is finalizing production, with enhanced cosmetics unveiled at CES 2026 and shipments expected later this year to more than 18,000 preorder customers worldwide.
Targeting the millions of seniors facing dementia, cognitive impairment, anxiety or isolation, Jennie aims to deliver proven therapeutic benefits — such as reduced agitation and medication needs — while pursuing FDA recognition as a medical device.
In a field shifting robotics from industrial tools to emotional supporters, Tombot’s real-world outreach at CES 2026 shows Jennie isn’t just innovative — she’s transformative.
Steve Winter and Kenny Fried are WTOP contributors who work for Brotman•Winter•Fried Consulting, a Bethesda-based public relations and special events agency.