yukai engineering has successfully met its kickstarter goal for the design of qoobo, a robotic cushion with a tail intended to provide a sense of comfort to users. when caressed, the plushy cushion waves gently. when rubbed, it swings playfully. the cushion also wags to say hello to its owners. 

qoobo cushion
qoobo, all images courtesy of yukai engineering

 

 

qoobo, the interactive pillow is designed to provide comforting communication that warms your heart the way animals do. the robotic pillow makes users feel as though they are interacting with live animals and provides them with a sense of comfort, or ‘tail therapy’.through the kickstarter campaign,  yukai engineering applied its expertise and experience in robotic engineering to help all people – including those with pet allergies or apartment dwellers who can’t own pets. the engineers hope to develop the technology further, by continuing their study on the animal’s tail movements to offer even more realistic experiences. 

qoobo cushion

qoobo

 

 

we selected different materials for various parts of the robot to enhance the movements and the tail’s appearance. we also made it durable to allow for use in various environments’, explains the design team. with over 400 backers, qoobo reached its kickstarter goal of over 5 million yen or approximately 44,000 US dollars. a variety of styles and colors can be chosen, making the pillow customizable for future ‘qoobo’ owners. the first batch of pillows is scheduled to be delivered by august 2018. 

 

qoobo won the the japan GOOD DESIGN award 2018.

suzuki jimny

 

the GOOD DESIGN award was founded in 1957 by the japanese ministry of international trade and industry and is hosted by the japan institute for design promotion. the ‘g mark’ emblem reflects comprehensive design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries and society. 

the qoobo cushion is an interactive, tail-wagging pillow that could replace your pet

the qoobo cushion is an interactive, tail-wagging pillow that could replace your pet

qoobo cushion

qoobo cushion

qoobo cushion

qoobo cushion