There’s something both heartbreaking and hopeful about a robotic puppy designed to keep elderly people company. But after you get past the initial weirdness of the idea, it actually starts to make a lot of sense.
Tombot, the company behind Jennie—a remarkably lifelike robotic Labrador Retriever puppy—just announced they’re heading back to CES in January 2026. And this time, they’re bringing an upgraded version with even more realistic cosmetics, designed in collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Yes, the Muppets people.
If that sounds like an odd pairing, consider what they’re trying to solve: over 300 million seniors worldwide are dealing with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and millions more are facing crushing loneliness, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health challenges. For many of them, a real pet would be therapeutic—but also impossible. They can’t handle the physical demands of caring for a living animal. They can’t afford it. Or their living situation doesn’t allow it.
So what if you could give them something that feels like a pet, acts like a pet, but doesn’t need to be fed, walked, or taken to the vet?
Why a Robot Dog Isn’t as Crazy as It Sounds
I’ll admit, when I first heard about robotic companion animals, my reaction was skeptical. It feels like a dystopian solution to a problem we should be solving with real human connection. But then you look at the research, and it gets harder to dismiss.
Peer-reviewed studies show that robotic animals can trigger similar emotional and behavioral responses as real pets. They reduce agitation. They combat isolation. They help manage symptoms of cognitive impairment. For someone with dementia who might forget to feed a real dog or become distressed by its needs, a robotic alternative that mimics the sounds and movements of an 8-week-old puppy starts to look less like a sad substitute and more like a genuine solution.
“Research shows users strongly prefer AI robots that create a warm and natural presence,” said Tom Stevens, Tombot’s co-founder and CEO. “Jennie is designed to seamlessly fit into a variety of settings, including home, hospitals, assisted living and memory care communities.”
The fact that they worked with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop on the design isn’t just a gimmick. Those folks know how to create characters that feel alive, that trigger emotional connections. If you’re going to make a therapeutic robot, you need it to feel real enough that people can form an attachment to it.
What They’re Showing at CES
At CES 2026, Tombot isn’t just setting up a booth with a robot on display. They’re creating an immersive experience—a living room environment where seniors will interact with Jennie in real time. It’s a smart move. Seeing a robotic puppy on a table at a tech conference is one thing. Watching an elderly person light up as they pet it and it responds? That tells a completely different story.
The goal is to show how Jennie can provide daily comfort and relief for people dealing with cognitive decline or chronic loneliness. And to demonstrate that this isn’t some novelty gadget—it’s a tool that could genuinely improve quality of life.
Tombot’s bigger mission is ambitious: they want to create the first affordable, FDA-regulated robotic pet. The FDA part is key. If they can get regulatory approval, Jennie stops being a toy and starts being a legitimate medical device. That opens doors to insurance coverage, healthcare partnerships, and broader adoption across hospitals, assisted living facilities, and memory care communities.
They’re also positioning Jennie as a way to reduce reliance on psychotropic medications. If a robotic companion can help manage anxiety, agitation, or depression without additional drugs—especially for elderly patients who are often overmedicated—that’s a meaningful win.
The Uncomfortable Questions
Of course, there’s something deeply uncomfortable about all of this. Are we really at a place where we’re giving lonely seniors robot dogs because we can’t be bothered to ensure they have adequate human contact and community? Is this a solution to loneliness, or is it a Band-Aid on a much bigger societal problem?
Those are fair questions. And honestly, they don’t have easy answers.
But here’s the thing: the loneliness epidemic among seniors is real, and it’s not going away anytime soon. We don’t have enough caregivers. Families are scattered across the country. Memory care facilities are understaffed. And for people with dementia, even when human connection is available, it’s not always enough. They need consistency, comfort, and something that meets them where they are.
If a robotic puppy can provide that—if it can reduce someone’s distress, give them something to care about, and improve their daily experience—maybe that’s okay. Maybe it doesn’t have to be either/or. Maybe it’s both. Human connection and a lifelike companion that’s always there when you need it.
What Happens Next
Tombot’s return to CES will be a test. They’ll be showing off Jennie’s enhanced design, demonstrating real interactions, and gauging interest from healthcare providers, investors, and the media. If they can get people to see past the initial “wait, this is weird” reaction and focus on the actual therapeutic benefits, they might be onto something significant.
The challenge isn’t whether the technology works—it seems like it does. The challenge is whether people are ready to accept robotic companions as a legitimate form of care. Whether families will be comfortable giving their aging parents a robot instead of a pet. Whether healthcare systems will embrace this as a tool worth investing in.
It’s strange territory. But then again, so is getting older in a world that increasingly isolates its elderly population. Maybe a robotic puppy that looks and acts like the real thing isn’t the answer we wanted. But for the millions of seniors struggling with loneliness and cognitive decline, it might be the answer that actually helps.
And sometimes, that’s good enough.