- Introduction
- 5 Communication Robots for Families
- Pet Robot Prices and Costs
- Summary
Introduction
As technology advances, communication robots are getting attention as a way to deepen family connections. They can make it easier to stay in touch with older parents and relatives who live far away, and help ease feelings of loneliness. This article introduces five recommended communication robots for connecting families, with their features and prices, so you can find one that suits your family’s needs.
One update to note: in August 2026, the cat-shaped robot Mia gained a Conversation Model that answers when you talk to it. By November 2026 it also remembers what you told it, lets you choose its voice and tone, and can chat in English. See the Mia section below for details.
5 Communication Robots for Families
BOCCO: Easy Voice Messages
BOCCO is a robot focused on sending and receiving voice messages. It reads messages that family members send from the smartphone app out loud, which makes it easy for older adults to use.
- Main features:
- Send messages from a smartphone
- Messages are read aloud by voice
- Simple, friendly design
- Price: 52,800 yen (tax included)
Because there is little to read on a screen, it is easy for people who are not comfortable with technology, so staying in touch with older family members becomes simple.
TELLBO: Casual Communication With Family Who Live Apart
Send a message from your smartphone and TELLBO delivers it by voice. When someone talks to TELLBO to send a message back, it arrives as both audio and text.
- Main features:
- Voice messages
- Check-ins for family who live apart
- Helps ease loneliness
- Price: 39,600 yen for the device, 1,290 yen per month
Even when family members are apart for long periods, it can make the distance feel smaller and offer peace of mind.
Mia: A Cat-Shaped Robot That Connects Families With Dialects and Expressions
Mia is a cat-shaped robot that speaks all 47 Japanese prefectural dialects, with a range of features that make family communication richer.
- Main features:
- 47 Japanese dialects (such as Osaka, Hakata, and Kyoto) and 8 switchable personalities, with more than 8,000 phrases
- 100+ expressive faces
- Original messages (with voice input)
- Sings 35 children’s songs
- Encouraging messages that help structure work time
- Price: US$149 for the Standard Model and US$199 for the Conversation Model on the English store (conversation mode is $2/month). In Japan, from 9,800 yen.
Mia is especially easy for older adults and children to warm up to, and can help get family conversations going.
Conversation Model features that connect families (November 2026)
The Conversation Model, launched in August 2026, answers when you talk to it. By November 2026 it had also gained features that remember family details and send a weekly update to family who live apart. It can:
- Talk in English: speak English and Mia answers in English, with 7 English voices to choose from. She switches between Japanese and English automatically. (English conversation voices)
- Remember what you told her: family names, plans, favorite things, and things that happened, brought up in later conversations. After a plan’s date passes, she asks how it went. You can review and delete these memories in the app, and she does not keep health, money, or address details. (What Mia remembers)
- Choose her voice and speed: 15 voices you can preview, and speaking speed from 0.8x to 1.2x. (Voice and speed)
- Polite or casual, and two personalities: a gentle polite tone or a casual, friend-like tone. White Mia is easygoing and Black Mia is the reliable one. In Japanese, replies can also be in the Osaka or Hakata dialect. (Tone, dialect, and personality)
- Alarms by voice: say “Set an alarm for 7” or “Wake me up in 30 minutes,” and tap her head to stop it. (Using the alarm)
- A weekly letter for family: every Sunday at 6 p.m., family members get a short note with the days Mia was petted and how many times and minutes she chatted. What was said is never sent. (Mia’s weekly letter)
Remembering family names and plans, delivering family voice messages, and letting relatives far away see how things are going through the weekly letter: these three things are what make the Conversation Model a family-connecting robot.
On the English store, the Conversation Model is US$199 (the Standard Model is US$149), and conversation mode needs the $2/month Premium plan, with up to 5 hours of conversation per month. In Japan, the Conversation Model is 22,800 yen (white) or 23,800 yen (black) including tax at the current sale price, with conversation mode at 300 yen per month. Dialect voice prompts, weather, Google Calendar reminders, and family voice messages all work as before.
Get the Conversation Model: Mia Conversation Model (White) / Mia Conversation Model (Black) (official store)
What families tend to value about Mia (examples, not quotes):
- Hearing a familiar dialect every day can make an older parent’s home feel livelier.
- Children enjoy Mia’s faces, voices, and songs, which gives the family something to share.
- For a parent living alone, a voice in the room and family messages can be a small daily comfort.
Things to keep in mind: weather, calendar reminders, family voice messages, and conversation mode need Wi-Fi and the Mia app, so it helps if a family member does the first setup.
👉 Meet Mia, the talking cat robot: features, models, and prices
Robi: A Fun Robot for the Whole Family
Robi is a home robot with plenty of entertainment features such as singing and dancing. Its charming design is popular with children, and it can give the whole family a fun time together.
- Main features:
- Interactive singing and dancing
- Talks to you (it has no speech recognition, and what it says is random)
- A friendly design that children like
- Price: varies by edition; check the official site
Enjoying it together can spark natural conversation and shared memories.
Romi: Natural Conversation as Emotional Support
Romi is a conversation robot that responds naturally to what the user says. It is designed so older adults can talk to it casually, without feeling alone.
- Main features:
- Conversation powered by advanced natural language processing
- Encourages communication through everyday conversation
- Emotional support for older adults
- Price: 98,780 yen for the device plus 1,958 yen per month
Talking about everyday events can ease loneliness and keep communication going.
Pet Robot Prices and Costs
Prices vary by features and brand. Use the figures below as a guide:
- BOCCO: 52,800 yen (tax included)
- TELLBO: 39,600 yen for the device, 1,290 yen per month
- Mia: US$149 (Standard Model), US$199 (Conversation Model, conversation mode $2/month). In Japan, from 9,800 yen
- Robi: varies by edition
- Romi: 98,780 yen for the device plus 1,958 yen per month
When buying, look beyond the device price and factor in monthly fees and optional features.
Summary
Communication robots can deepen family bonds and make it easier to stay in touch with older adults and relatives far away. BOCCO, TELLBO, Mia, Robi, and Romi each have different strengths and suit different family needs.
When choosing, think about your family’s situation and what you want the robot to do. A well-chosen robot can make family communication a little richer.
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