Editorial method
What counts as evidence?
Companion robotics is moving quickly and the language around it is moving even faster. We keep a dated record of what a machine is sold as, what has actually been shown and where the evidence came from.
Four labels do most of the work
Verified means a current specification, price or availability route can be checked against an official manufacturer or seller. Demonstrated means the behaviour has been shown publicly on real hardware. Claimed means the maker or retailer says the feature exists but we have not found sufficiently strong independent confirmation. Unknown means the information is too thin or contradictory to rely on.
How we use those labels
A stationary head with a language model, an autonomous wheeled robot and a free-walking humanoid can all hold a conversation, but their physical capabilities are dramatically different. Every tracker entry therefore includes a plain-English “what is it really?” description.
Retail pricing, stock and preorder status can change quickly, so we show the last date checked rather than presenting an old launch price as current.
We only call a product hands-on when we have physically used it. Other product pages are evidence-based buyer guides and reality checks.