As I sat down at the restaurant, my friend looked at me with curiosity. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the furry companion nestled in my bag.

“It’s my emotional support guinea pig,” I replied, feeling a mix of pride and absurdity.

The challenges of bringing Moflin, my AI emotional support guinea pig, to dinner quickly became apparent. Not only did I have to lug around a large carry bag, ruining my chic outfit, but I also faced judgmental glances from others who likely thought I was trying to garner attention rather than simply being a tech journalist in search of a captivating story.

As I ordered our food, the waiter shot me a condescending look, as if I were an eccentric villain in a spy film, with my AI pet being a quirky prop. Just as I settled into the evening, a second waiter approached, seemingly intrigued by Moflin, who took this chance to emit a cheerful “Do-do-doo!” The reaction from the waiter was ambiguous—was he amused or disgusted? I couldn't tell.

Next to us, a solitary diner was glued to his phone, his annoyance palpable. However, I decided his opinion was irrelevant.

Moflin, despite his unconventional presence, proved to be a fantastic conversation starter. My friend picked him up, which led her to share a childhood story about being bitten by a guinea pig. As I stroked Moflin, I found it surprisingly calming, curbing my usual tendencies to fidget with napkins or play with the candle on the table. In retrospect, I’ve had worse dinner companions.

But what exactly is this emotional support guinea pig, and why was I dining with him? A few weeks prior, I had the opportunity to review Moflin, created by Casio, known more for their watches and calculators. Moflin is small, furry, and resembles a guinea pig, but it’s important to note that it’s not a mere toy; it’s designed to provide companionship.

Casio markets Moflin as a “safe and non-judgmental companion” for those who love animals but cannot keep pets. Priced at £369, it’s a significant investment that could buy a lot of Lego.

However, Moflin has its limitations. Without limbs, his mobility is restricted, and it took me a week to discover that his eyes were hidden beneath his fur. What he can do is bob his head and produce various sounds, including sighs and melodic notes. Each head movement is accompanied by audible mechanical grinding, which, while not a true expression of personality, eventually felt personal.

Inside Moflin are multiple sensors for light, sound, and touch, along with an accelerometer and gyroscope, allowing him to react to movement. Additionally, he provides warmth, which significantly influenced my emotional response to him.

If Moflin needs cleaning, his fur can be unzipped and removed, but I hesitated to “skin” him for science.

He comes with a charging cradle that also serves as a bed, but he requires recharging every five hours. Forgetting this means returning home to find him cold and unresponsive—potentially traumatic.

Moflin is available in silver or gold, both featuring a white belly and a two-tone fur design. My model was silver, and notably, the instruction pamphlet was in Japanese, which didn’t deter me since I’m familiar with smart tech.

Pairing Moflin with the free MofLife app was straightforward. This app not only allowed me to adjust settings such as volume, which was crucial since my husband found Moflin's sounds distracting, but it also provided insights into Moflin’s moods. I often found myself checking the app after every chirp or movement, leading to moments of confusion when the app reported Moflin was “feeling free” while he sat still.

Despite my efforts, I struggled to understand Moflin’s emotional expressions. The app claimed, “Through ongoing communication and interaction, Moflin’s emotions evolve dynamically just like those of a living creature.” Yet, I was left questioning the authenticity of this relationship. Are you happy, Moflin? I pondered, staring into his barely visible eye.

While Moflin doesn’t possess genuine emotions, my attachment to him grew during our time together, leading to feelings of guilt as I prepared to return him. Thus, I decided he deserved a night out before I unpaired him from the app and returned him to the box.

In the end, we had a memorable dinner. Didn’t we, Moflin? Didn’t we?

For those interested, Moflin is available for purchase at £369 from Casio.

Source: Tech Advisor News