SwitchBot KATA Friends AI Partner Robot Receives Major Update with Proactive Conversation and Enhanced Assistance Features

Gadgets

Key Updates

The update includes firmware version 1.2.075 and requires SwitchBot app version V10.1 or higher.

KATA Friends Initiates Conversations

KATA Friends Initiates Conversations
With the “Chikyu-go Mode” enabled, KATA Friends can now initiate conversations, offering unexpected moments of interaction. This feature allows for spontaneous communication without the user needing to speak first.

Room-to-Room Movement for Assistance

KATA Friends can now move to specified rooms upon voice command to provide various forms of assistance. Users can instruct the robot to go to a particular room and perform tasks such as greeting, waking someone up, or taking photos.

Examples of commands include:

  • “Go to the entrance and greet someone.”

  • “Go to the living room and take a picture.”

For more details on how to use this feature, please refer to the official FAQ: https://support.switch-bot.com/hc/ja/articles/42801921706519

This function requires setting up rooms in the SwitchBot app map beforehand.

Special Birthday Behaviors

Special Birthday Behaviors
KATA Friends will now exhibit special behaviors on its own birthday and on the birthdays of family and friends registered in the “Important People List.” Birthdays can be registered in the SwitchBot app.

For instructions on setting up the “Important People List,” please check the official FAQ: https://support.switch-bot.com/hc/ja/articles/42080474225687

Enhanced Conversation and Assistance Capabilities

Further improvements include expanded language support and voice options, along with enhancements to voice operation and person recognition.

  • More Languages for “Chikyu-go Mode”: Five new languages have been added to “Chikyu-go Mode”: German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Dutch.

  • Customizable Voice Options: Users can now select KATA Friends’ speaking voice to suit their preferences.

Other Feature Additions and Improvements

  • Movement and Actions in “Chikyu-go Mode”: KATA Friends now responds to voice commands like “Turn around” or “Come here” even when “Chikyu-go Mode” is active. Voice commands for singing or dancing are not currently supported.
  • Smart Home Control Without “Chikyu-go Mode”: KATA Friends can now control compatible SwitchBot devices (e.g., “Turn on the light,” “Turn on the robot vacuum cleaner”) without needing “Chikyu-go Mode” to be active. For details on compatible devices and functions, please refer to the official FAQ.

  • Head Button for “Chikyu-go Mode”: “Chikyu-go Mode” can now be activated or deactivated by pressing and holding the head button for 2 seconds.

  • Improved Person Recognition: The accuracy of person recognition has been enhanced, making it easier to recognize individuals, including those using wheelchairs.

  • Mood-Based Lighting Control: By expressing desired activities or moods (e.g., “I want to play games,” “It’s reading time,” “It’s Christmas today”), KATA Friends can link with and operate SwitchBot lighting. Operation may vary depending on the specific utterance.

“KATA Friends Welcome Support Campaign” Underway

KATA Friends Welcome Support Campaign
The “KATA Friends Welcome Support Campaign” began on August 31, 2026. During the campaign period, customers who purchase a KATA Friends unit at participating stores will receive a three-month subscription to the KATA Friends Life Plan “Light Plan” and a “KATA Friends Outfits Outing Set.”

  • Campaign Period: August 31, 2026 (Monday) – October 19, 2026 (Monday)

  • Benefit 1: KATA Friends Life Plan “Light Plan” for 3 months

  • Benefit 2: KATA Friends Outfits Outing Set (Yellow Bucket Hat + Backpack)

  • Eligibility: Customers who purchase a KATA Friends unit at an authorized SwitchBot retailer during the period.

For campaign details, visit: https://switchbot.vip/3Uf6Vua

The method of receiving benefits varies by purchase channel. Please refer to the campaign page for detailed terms, eligible stores, redemption methods, and precautions.

“KATA Friends Referral Program” Also Available

KATA Friends Referral Program
The “KATA Friends Referral Program” offers benefits to both the referrer and the referred individual when KATA Friends is introduced via a dedicated referral link or coupon code.

For details on eligible products, benefits, and terms, please refer to the referral program page: https://switchbot.vip/4x5HrwO

About KATA Friends

About KATA Friends
KATA Friends is an AI partner robot equipped with an on-device LLM, designed to behave naturally in response to words and interactions, extending beyond mere convenience to connect with the user’s heart. It responds when called, seeks attention, wanders independently when alone, and recharges itself when low on battery. Its personality gradually develops with time spent together.

For more general information, visit the KATA Friends page: https://www.switchbot.jp/pages/katafriends

  • Unit Price: 129,800 JPY (tax included)

  • To utilize various KATA Friends features, a subscription to the KATA Friends Life Plan is required in addition to purchasing the unit.

  • Life Plan: From 1,980 JPY (tax included) / month (for Light Plan)

  • Payment Options:

    • Credit card installment payments (up to 24 installments / SB Payment Service)

    • Post-payment “Atokara” (up to 36 installments; installment fees free for up to 24 installments)

  • Sales Channels:

Official Content Information

Updates, behind-the-scenes development, and answers to frequently asked questions regarding KATA Friends are regularly shared on official Note and various social media channels. User questions and requests are addressed through regular Q&A sessions, incorporating feedback into future experiences.

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