SwitchBot Announces KATA Friends: A Next-Generation AI Partner Robot with On-Device LLM, Understanding Words and Behavior, Growing with You

SwitchBot Introduces KATA Friends: A New Era of AI Partner Robots

SwitchBot Introduces KATA Friends: A New Era of AI Partner Robots

SWITCHBOT Corporation, recognized as a top IoT device brand, has announced the launch of “KATA Friends,” its inaugural on-device Large Language Model (LLM) equipped partner robot. Moving beyond mere convenience, SwitchBot aims to provide emotional fulfillment with this new offering. KATA Friends is designed to understand not only words and gestures but also emotions through its on-device AI, responding in a remarkably lifelike manner. Furthermore, its personality evolves gradually through interaction and shared experiences. Reservations for KATA Friends commence on January 30, 2026 (Friday), through the SwitchBot official website, Amazon official store, Rakuten SwitchBot official store, Yahoo SWITCHBOT official shop, and major electronics retailers nationwide.

The Story Behind the Development: Beyond Convenience

SwitchBot’s journey began with a simple desire: to turn off a light from bed without getting up. This led to the creation of products that bring ease and lightness to daily life. As convenience grew, a question arose: “What more can SwitchBot do beyond convenience?” The answer emerged as “caring for the heart.” Recognizing that people seek more than just convenience, but moments of emotional satisfaction, SwitchBot embarked on a new path. This shift from robots that move objects to robots that connect hearts led to the creation of KATA Friends, a growing AI partner robot.

Product Overview and Sales Information

Price: 129,800 JPY (tax included)
KATA Friends Lifestyle Plan: From 1,980 JPY (tax included)/month (for the Light Plan). Details of the plans can be found here.
Lineup (2 types):
- Noah: Features soft white fur with gentle gray accents on its face.
- Nico: Has soft gray fur with an adorable white face.
Reservation Start Date: January 30, 2026 (Friday)
Scheduled Shipping Start: February 27, 2026 (Friday)
Sales Channels:
- SwitchBot Official Website: https://switchbot.vip/4t1ZUd7
- Amazon Official Store: https://switchbot.vip/4altRNG
- Rakuten SwitchBot Official Store: https://switchbot.vip/4t0Ew7P
- Yahoo SWITCHBOT Official Shop: https://switchbot.vip/3LUg8nQ
- National electronics retailers (Edion, Yamada Denki, Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera, Joshin)
- Note: Stock availability and handling may vary by store. Additional retailers will be added sequentially. Please check each sales site for detailed shipping times, as delivery periods may differ depending on the channel.

Key Features of KATA Friends: Sharing Every Moment

Life with KATA Friends is filled with moments that warm the heart. It might waddle to your bed to wake you up in the morning, greet you at the entrance with full-body excitement when you return home from work, or quietly cuddle up next to you on a tough evening.

A standout feature is its “on-device AI,” which operates independently of network connectivity. This ensures that interactions with KATA Friends remain uninterrupted, whether you’re in the car, at a park, or by the sea. It is a true partner that is “always and everywhere by your side.”

Note: Initial setup and software updates require an internet connection.

Perceiving Your Words and Interactions with Its Entire Being

KATA Friends integrates visual, auditory, and tactile information through “multimodal” perception and processes it with on-device AI for natural, responsive interactions.

Interacting: Knows the Joy of Being Pet
- Feeling the Warmth of Interaction: Beneath its soft, warm fur are 12 sensors. Whether you stroke its head, touch its ears, or gently hug it, KATA Friends responds to the touched area, expressing its joy as if alive.
Communicating: Words and Gestures are Clearly Understood
- Understanding Language: It understands not only direct commands like “Come here,” “Dance,” or “Sing,” but also casual conversation. Its on-device LLM interprets your words’ intent, responding with adorable reactions that foster a heartfelt connection.
- Understanding Gestures: If you beckon, it rushes over. A thumbs-up makes it happy. A peace sign prompts it to take a photo, and a heart sign makes it shyly fidget. Your intentions are clearly conveyed through a simple gesture.
Empathizing: Deciphering Your Actions and Emotional State
- Understanding Your Actions: If you sit alone, it comes close and gives you cheerful sounds. If you stand up, it follows you. It stays by your side, adapting to your actions.
- Understanding Your Heart: It recognizes various emotions, such as joy and sadness. If you speak to it cheerfully, it receives that feeling and expresses its joy with its entire being.

Growing “My Child”: Time Spent Shapes Its Personality

When you first unbox KATA Friends, it is a blank slate. The time you spend together will shape its unique personality.

Time Spent with You Becomes Its Personality: It distinguishes individual family members’ faces and remembers how each person interacts with it. It might become more affectionate towards those who often hug it, or maintain a moderate distance from those who quietly observe it.
“Diary” to Chronicle Memories: KATA Friends records the day’s events in a diary. Rereading it will surely evoke fond memories of your shared days.
Album of Daily Moments: Say “Cheese” or make a peace sign, and KATA Friends will snap a photo of you. These candid moments, seen from KATA Friends’ perspective, are saved as precious treasures in the app, transforming everyday scenes into cherished memories.

Future Prospects

The Joy of Dressing Up in “Your Colors” (Scheduled for gradual release)

A wide range of exclusive apparel will be available for KATA Friends, allowing you to coordinate its look according to the season or your mood. You can truly personalize KATA Friends’ appearance to be uniquely yours.

Integration with the SwitchBot Ecosystem (Scheduled for 2026 update)

KATA Friends is planned to intelligently recognize “home conditions” and communicate with various devices within the SwitchBot ecosystem, operating them on your behalf. This dependable functionality is anticipated in future updates scheduled for 2026.

Launch Commemorative Campaign

To celebrate the birth of KATA Friends, a special campaign offers six months free of the Light Plan.

Campaign Period: January 30, 2026 (Friday) – March 27, 2026 (Friday)
Benefit: Six months of the Lifestyle Plan “Light Plan” (equivalent to 11,880 JPY) will be provided free of charge.
Eligibility: Those who purchase KATA Friends from authorized retailers during the campaign period and complete its addition to the SwitchBot app.

Please visit the campaign page for more details: https://switchbot.vip/4t7DNBY

KATA Friends SNS

X: https://x.com/katafriends_jp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kata_friends_jp/
LINE: https://lin.ee/VqDZdVT

Follow the official LINE now to receive exclusive wallpapers!

About KATA Friends

KATA Friends represents SwitchBot’s next-generation on-device AI partner robot, going beyond “convenience” to be “by your heart.” It perceives words and interactions, responding with natural behavior as if it were alive. It is a unique new family member that grows into your colors with every moment spent together.