Mori is a small lamp-like robot that reacts to you like a pet

Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a small battery-powered robot that looks like a table lamp and reacts to people the way a pet might. It blinks, tilts its head, wobbles to music and acts shy around strangers. The limited Founder's Edition costs $649.

What Mori does

Mori is not built to clean your house or control your smart home. OKA calls it a "Nature Companion." It uses small movements, warm light and nature-inspired sounds to feel calming rather than distracting. It can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or nudge you to slow down. No screen or conversation is needed.

• Animated eyes blink and look around, and the head tilts when something catches its attention.
• It can retreat into its shell and turn back into a fairly normal-looking lamp.
• It glows in colors inspired by rain, forests, fire and wind.
• It plays nature soundscapes and guides breathing exercises.
• It stands nearly 12 inches tall.

How it decides how to act

A camera hidden in Mori's face and built-in microphones feed what OKA calls Attentive Intelligence. Several AI models that run on the device analyze what is happening and choose a response. Mori can recognize familiar people, remember past interactions and act differently around guests.

A system called V.I.B.E. (Vitality, Interaction, Bonding, and Emotion) also considers the time of day and Mori's history with people and pets. It can tell when interrupting is a bad idea, such as during a phone call or an argument. Long phone use, though, could prompt it to pull your attention away.

The privacy question

A device that sits in your home watching and listening raises obvious concerns. OKA says raw images and audio are processed locally and then discarded. It says the facial-feature data used to recognize familiar people stays on the device. The camera switches off when Mori retracts into lamp mode, and double-tapping its head turns off the microphones. These are the company's own statements.

Price and what is unknown

The Founder's Edition costs $649 and includes two years of subscription service and a two-year warranty. The standard version will cost $799. OKA has not said what the subscription will cost after the first two years, so the long-term price is unclear. The material does not give a shipping date.