Sirius: The AI-Powered Robot Dog Blending Cutting-Edge Technology with Pet-Like Companionship

This $1,299 Robot Dog Plays Soccer, Dances and Can 'Evolve' With AI

After an initial appearance at CES 2025, the Hengbot $1,299 Sirius robot dog is going on preorder Thursday, highlighting an agile body that's able to play soccer while also integrating with OpenAI to develop its own personality. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) While robot dogs have been around for decades with brands like Sony's Aibo, Hengbot's Sirius robot is putting a particular emphasis on how quickly it can move. The company has been showing this off in videos that demonstrate it dancing to piano music or shaking hands next to an actual dog. The Sirius robot has a total of 14 axis across its legs and head along with proprietary joints named Neurocore that let it move more naturally. Hengbot says it's also customizable using a "game-like" editor, featuring the ability to customize the robot's personality to be more like specific dogs such as a Corgi, set up different facial reactions to appear on its head or upload voice packs to customize what the robot sounds like. However Hengbot does note that, because this is a robot after all, the Sirius robot dog is meant primarily for flat indoor surfaces and isn't meant to be played with outside. So while dancing and soccer games (which can be played with an included controller) are fine, the Sirius robot is unlikely to be running up and down the stairs of a house. The robot's battery will also let it run for 40 to 60 minutes when moving or one to two hours when standing still and Hengbot says it takes about an hour to recharge. Other specs on Sirius include an 8-megapixel camera used for vision, two USB-C ports used for development and accessories Using a network connection, the Sirius robot develops it's personality with an integration with large language models like OpenAI, which it also uses to process voice commands. This can include asking it to dance, sit or to act like other animals like a cat. Hengbot says the dog itself does not collect data but also advises that the Sirius is designed more for adults who would like to use some of the more creative features that the dog is capable of. And that distinction is important, as AI is still prone to hallucinations and other mistakes. For instance, last year my colleague Bridget Carey tested a ChatGPT-enabled teddy bear named Poe made by the Los Angeles-based toy maker Skyrocket. The bear created stories using prompts within the app but at launch its vocabulary was rather verbose for young audiences. While Hengbot's Sirius robot will primarily be dancing, barking and moving about, Hengbot does say that the Sirius robot is eventually intended to integrate with a wider creative platform meant for hosting and sharing different projects. The Sirius robot is available to preorder on Hengbot's website and it's expected to be available this fall.

Would you swap your real-life pet for an AI-powered alternative? Meet Sirius the robot dog and decide for yourself

You can train Sirius to perform tricks and upload different voice packs From early sci-fi heroes like K9 in Dr Who, or Muffit in the original Battlestar Galactica, robot dogs have long been a staple of TV and films, but despite the predictions of every futurist from the last 30 to 50 years, household robots or robot pets still haven't become commonplace in 2025, unless you count the best robot vacuum cleaners. The history of robo-dogs goes back a long way. Sony was one of the first companies to really get into making robot dogs with its Aibo range, which was first released in 1999 in Japan, but, while still for sale ($2,899.99!), seems to have gone quiet of late. There have been others since then, like the Minted Dog-E, but with all the advancements in AI that are going on at the moment, it seems inevitable that intelligent robotic dogs would be making a comeback. The latest robo dog to try to nuzzle its way into our lives is Sirius, from Hengbot. Sirius is an AI-based programmable and customizable robotic dog designed to become your faithful digital pal. It's the AI that really makes Sirius different from previous robo dogs. Described as "emotionally intelligent", Sirius has its own personality and can mimic the movements of real dogs like jumping, stretching, and even dancing. Sirius can handle voice recognition, natural language processing, and image recognition. It can even understand your gestures. You can teach it tricks, sync gestures with voice commands, and even upload custom facial expressions. At roughly 10 inches tall, Sirius is about the size of a chihuahua. It's not too heavy either, with a 1KG frame constructed from aerospace-grade alloy for fast, responsive actions. Inside its AI brain, Sirius has up to 5 TOPS of edge computing power and comes with USB-C peripheral expansion and a powerful 2250mAh battery that offers a promised 40-to-60 minutes of play time. "With Sirius, we didn't just build a robot, we created the first of a new kind of robotic species," said Peiheng Song, CEO at Hengbot. "Powered by our Neurocore system, Sirius marks the start of a growing universe of intelligent, customizable robots designed to bring your imagination to life." Sirius is designed to be easy to customize and program, whether you're a curious kid, first-time robot owner, or a tech-savvy developer. It utilizes a game-like visual editor that you can use to choreograph dance routines, teach Sirius custom tricks, or train, with no coding required. What do you think? Is Sirius the sort of robot you'd be happy to have roaming around your home? Let us know in the comments below. Sirius is now available for pre-order at Hengbot.com with a basic model starting at $1299 with free worldwide shipping. General availability is expected in Fall 2025.