Physical AI, with a social life
We track robot pets, home companions and human-form robots: what exists, what they actually do, what they remember and what you can buy in Britain.
“Companion robot” now covers machines with radically different abilities: wheeled home robots, touch-responsive pets and human-form systems. We keep the labels attached to the hardware.
A wheeled £999 home companion with mapping, face recognition, cameras and GPT conversation. Currently out of stock in the UK.
Reality check →
Warm-bodied, mobile and deliberately needy. More than 20,000 active contracts as of July 2026, according to GROOVE X.
LOVOT reality check →
A full human-form companion is already listed for £64,700 in Britain. The evidence around what it can actually do needs careful reading.
X04-SYNC2, 18+ topic →Checked 17 September 2026
XPENG reports commissioned lines and a robot walking off one. Mass production and 2027 deliveries remain targets. Source: XPENG: IRON production lines commissioned ↗
US$7,349.99 is head-only; the maker lists US$11,349.99+ with a body. The purchase route currently starts with a waitlist. Source: RealDoll Harmony: product and FAQ ↗
The June launch report named 16 September. Completed customer deliveries have not been verified in this review. Pro and Ultra also have very different movement capabilities. Source: U1: announced delivery date ↗
Design your companionStart with a mixed pair or choose women or men. Tap the portrait you prefer, keep refining for as long as you like, then stop on your favourite. You can share it immediately or add capabilities and budget for the reality check.
Fiction got there first
Pygmalion starts with a custom-made lover. Westworld turns humanoids into a pay-per-visit service. Her removes the body altogether. The technology changes; questions about ownership, memory, obedience and agency keep returning.
The fiction timeline follows 22 works and asks what each one got right about the market now taking shape.
Home humanoids have early-access order pages, adult systems have refundable reservations, and human-form production lines are being commissioned. We keep each date beside its evidence so delays stay obvious.
A soft-covered walking home robot with basic autonomy. For unfamiliar tasks, scheduled Expert Mode can involve remote human supervision.
An announced adult companion combining AI conversation with a realistic, poseable body. The GBP terms offer a refundable reservation; the final specification and purchase price can change.
XPENG commissioned IRON production lines on 8 September. It still targets mass production by the end of 2026 and China/overseas delivery in 2027. Initial uses are commercial; no UK home-companion offer is established.
Follow the price ladder or compare up to three robots. A robotic head, a complete body and a reservation need different price labels.