LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese Startup Unveils The Most Advanced Biomimetic Affective AI Pandas
Imagine a world filled with panda cubs, where you can choose one as your own perfect pet. They tend to you anytime you want, and listen to you all the time. They not only understand what you are saying, but also response to you in a way based on the personality traits you want them to be. The more you hug, cuddle, or stroke them, the happier they become, growing more attached to you even during moments of loneliness or sadness. While owning a real panda cub may be out of reach, a Chinese company is making this dream a reality through advanced robotics.
At CES 2025, a Shenzhen-based company Mind with Heart Robotics Co., Ltd. (known as Wuxin) unveiled its latest product:
AnAn, an adorable bionic panda cub. AnAn reacts to a user’s touch with unique sounds based on where it’s petted, owing to its whole set of realistic and soft fur covering more than 10 tactile sensing suites. Designed with an intelligent “AI Brain”, AnAn is an ideal companion for users. This panda cub equips with core & long-term memory and reminder functions, making it a “personal assistant” for seniors. AnAn also comes with its dedicated app, allowing users to personalize their panda’s name, voice, and personality while sharing stories and experiences with a global community of “panda owners.”
Apart from its cute and attractive appearance, AnAn holds significant potential in healthcare, such as providing companionship for elderly patients with cognitive decline, helping reduce care costs, and improving their independence and quality of life. In addition, the AI panda serves as an engaging and educational companion, fostering emotional growth and improving social skills in children. It also provides stress relief for professionals and young individuals facing loneliness, offering the perfect solution for those who wish to own a pet but lack the time to care for one.
With its blend of advanced AI technology and heartwarming design, AnAn is set to redefine the future of companionship, offering users a unique and emotionally enriching experience.
The Business of Battling Loneliness: A Promising Market for AI-powered Plush Toys
As aging populations and mental health issues become more severe, the demand for loneliness reduction and psychological support has reached unprecedented levels. Groups such as the elderly living alone, single individuals, and socially anxious individuals, seek understanding and empathy. Special groups, such as patients with depression, cognitive disorders, or autism, also have strong needs for psychological support. “In China, over 100 million people fall into these demographics, and globally, the number shall be tragically multiplied by five,” said Dr. Zhang Jiaming, founder and CEO of Wuxin. “We firmly believe that biomimetic AI pets with affective intelligence become indispensable friends and personal assistants for mankind worldwide. And AnAn can be an ideal robot to deliver psychological support and robot-assisted therapy to global customers.”
Unlike human interactions, robots eliminate concerns about social stigma, embarrassment, or prejudice, providing stress-free conversations. They are also increasingly utilized in therapeutic contexts for psychological and cognitive challenges.
Many Chinese manufacturers have also launched AI-powered plush toys, with some companies reporting shipments of 20,000 to 30,000 units. These products primarily target young people and elderly people seeking to alleviate loneliness by owning an AI-powered pet.
According to market research firm Contrive Datum Insights, the global AI toys market is projected to reach $35.11 billion by 2030.
However, Dr. Zhang believes current products fall short of expectations. “Most AI pets on the market are overpriced, often exceeding $1,000, with limited realism and intelligence in interactions. Our products will deliver ‘Three Highs’, i.e., high cost-effectiveness, high bionic fidelity, and high affective intelligence, to attract and benefit more customers,” said Dr. Zhang. Wuxin has partnered with world-leading manufacturers, brand channels, and psychological and healthcare experts to overcome key challenges in bionic craftsmanship, cost, and production capacity, to set new industry standards.
Ambitious Plans for 2025 Mass Production
Industrial robots are no longer enough to satisfy the ambitions of Chinese companies. Robots with enhanced lifelike qualities, better communication, and interactive capabilities—especially those designed for home environments and elder care—are emerging as a new development trend. In the future, service and personal robots are expected to be widely adopted in areas such as customer service, hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, and elder care.
A complete supply chain system and supporting government incentive policies provide convenience for Chinese companies. Located in the innovation hub of China’s Greater Bay Area, Wuxin benefits from a robust industrial ecosystem in cities such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Zhongshan. Government support is also abundant; for example, Shenzhen’s 2022 initiative to develop intelligent robotics clusters included subsidies of up to 3 million RMB (~$410,000).
Dr. Zhang, who earned his Ph.D.at the University of Sheffield under globally renowned AI & robotics experts Prof. Noel Sharkey and Dr. Amanda Sharkey, has over a decade of experience in robotics, AI, affective computing, and human-robot interaction. He has led or participated in the development of more than 20 different forms of interactive robots. From 2015 to 2019, he and his team developed the world’s first biomimetic panda robot. This robot was used in a preliminary study on the feasibility of a panda robot with 20 dementia patients at a day care center (JCCPA in Hong Kong), and it garnered significant media attention in Mainland China. Currently Wuxin has assembled a team of top-tier talent from universities such as the University of Nottingham, CUHK and Peking University, and has filed over 30 patents.
“Our philosophy is rooted in our belief in 3S- ‘Simulation-Stimulus-Social Creatures,’ meaning creating social beings through interactive stimuli based on bionics. As a result, all our products could be labeled as highly biomimetic and emotionally intelligent,” said Dr. Zhang. The Wuxin product line also includes other forms, and all products will be launched in 2025.
As technology advances and demand grows, Biomimetic AI Pets with Affective Intelligence are poised to become a ubiquitous part of daily life, transforming from cinematic fantasies into reality. Ambitious Chinese companies like Wuxin are making quiet yet significant strides toward this future.
About Wuxin
Mind with Heart Robotics Co., Ltd.
Address: 1601A, 8th Building, Qianhai Excellence Financial Center (Phase I), No. 5033 Menghai Avenue, Nanshan Street, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
Media Contact
CEO Dr. Zhang: 0086-13530502919
Email: zhangjiaming@wxbionics.com
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SOURCE Mind With Heart Robotics
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