UBTECH, a firm best known for churning out industrial humanoids for the assembly line, is now pivoting to the business of friendship. Its new U1 series consists of hyper-realistic “emotional companions” boasting a whopping 88 degrees of freedom, designed to take up residence in your lounge rather than a warehouse. With over 2,100 pre-orders already on the books, it seems the “uncanny valley” is the trendy new remedy for loneliness—provided your new best mate doesn’t need to tackle the stairs or stay conscious for more than a couple of hours.
