It’s absolutely appalling!

Sega Toys has been selling life-like (well, almost) robo-cats in Japan for about 3 years now. The latest model is Venus – designed like a Norwegian Forest Cat.

The robo-cat is equipped with touch sensors that let it engage in such real-life feline behaviour as purring, moving its legs when people rub its belly and other nauseatingly sweet responses.

It gets worse! Apparently you can say “There, there” (in Japanese) and it purrs! And, heaven save us all, this plastic and steel would-be usurper even naps!

The furry faux cat is set to hit the US market in July, aimed at those people who just don’t have the time for a real animal.

But does Venus shed on the couch? Can it drag mice inside? What about hairballs? A cat is not a cat without hairballs.

I may sneer, but I see a dark cloud on the horizon. I see a future world full of pathetic robotic rejects attempting to emulate the real thing. A world like some frightening Phillip K Dick chemical-induced android fantasy.

Am I wrong to feel the stab of future shock? Are we, like the Tiger, on the way out?

Source : Sega Toys Yume-Neko Venus