Categories: Tech

AI robot brings emotional care to pets

Tuya Smart just introduced Aura, its first AI-powered companion robot made for pets.

Aura is designed specifically for household cats and dogs, with AI trained to recognize their behaviors, movements and vocal cues. The idea behind Aura is simple. Pets need more than food bowls and cameras. They need attention, interaction and reassurance.

Aura stays active in the home, watches for behavior changes and responds in real time so owners can better understand how their pets are doing. Many pets struggle when left alone for long hours. Small changes often show up first. A dog may stop playing. A cat may hide or groom excessively. These signs can point to stress or anxiety. Aura steps in during those quiet stretches, offering engagement instead of an empty room.

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Tuya Smart unveils Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to interact with household cats and dogs and monitor behavior changes in real time. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Why emotional intelligence matters for pets

Smart feeders and pet cameras handle the basics. Emotional care is a different story. Pets are social. When routines change, their mood can shift quickly. Aura tracks behavior and listens for changes in sound patterns. It can tell whether a pet feels excited, anxious, lonely, or relaxed. Aura then sends real-time emotional updates to an owner’s phone. That makes it easier to spot issues early rather than guessing after the fact.

How Aura interacts with pets at home

Aura acts more like a companion than a device that sits still. Several systems work together throughout the day to keep pets engaged. Key features include:

Laser play and treat dispensing for active interaction
Simulated pet sounds with expressive animated eyes
Voice interaction, which is designed to feel natural and responsive

Instead of waiting for a button press, Aura looks for opportunities to engage. It turns long, quiet hours into moments of play and stimulation.

Capturing moments that matter

Aura also keeps an eye out for moments worth saving. Using AI pet recognition and intelligent tracking, it captures everyday highlights like playful bursts, calm naps and funny interactions. Aura can automatically turn these clips into short videos. That helps owners stay connected and feel closer to their pets even when they are away. It also makes it easier to capture moments you might never catch on your own and share them with family or post on social media.

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Aura uses artificial intelligence to recognize pet movements, sounds and emotional cues, offering engagement and reassurance when pets are home alone. (OLEKSII FILIPPOV / AFP via Getty Images)

How Aura moves and recharges on its own

Movement is a big part of Aura’s role in the home. With V-SLAM navigation, binocular vision and AIVI object recognition, Aura moves freely while avoiding obstacles. When the battery runs low, it returns to its feeding and charging dock on its own. That keeps it ready without constant attention from owners.

A bigger ecosystem around pet care

Aura connects to Tuya’s broader ecosystem, which opens access to services beyond the home. These include smart pet boarding, health and medical care, behavior training, grooming, customization and community tools. Instead of handling one task, Aura becomes a central hub for pet care that can evolve over time.

More than a pet robot

Aura focuses on pets today, but the technology behind it reaches further. Emotional awareness, proactive assistance and ecosystem integration could also support elder care, home monitoring and family connectivity. Starting with pets gives Tuya a clear emotional use case while setting the stage for future home robotics.

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The Aura robot moves through the home autonomously, playing with pets, dispensing treats and capturing video highlights for owners. (Gabe Souza/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Kurt’s key takeaways

Tuya has not shared a release date or pricing for Aura yet. The company unveiled the robot earlier this month at CES 2026, but details on availability and cost remain unclear. Those specifics are likely to come closer to a wider consumer launch. Even so, Aura signals a shift in how smart home technology shows up for pets. It moves beyond simple monitoring and leans into interaction and emotional awareness. If Aura delivers on its promise, it could help pet owners feel more comfortable leaving their pets home alone while staying connected throughout the day.

If technology can read your pet’s emotions and respond in real time, would you trust it to become part of your home routine, or would that feel like too much? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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