Sweekar is world's "first emotionally intelligent" pocket-sized pet
At the CES tech fair in Las Vegas, Chinese startup Takway has unveiled a cute AI-powered pet-like accessory, designed to grow physically and emotionally alongside its user.
Sweekar is similar in concept to a Tamagotchi, the popular Japanese handheld electronic toy pet that was launched in the mid-1990s.
However, unlike traditional virtual pets, Sweekar has the capacity to physically change over time thanks to a built in experience points (XP)-based system.
Users can prompt their pet to grow from an "egg" to a "baby", a "teenager" and finally an "adult" through feeding, cleaning and talking to it.
Weighing just 89 grams, Sweekar was designed to fit in your pocket. It features a shell-like body in different colours, which breaks after a two-day incubation period to reveal cartoonish eyes.
Users can also buy different outfits for their pet, which was designed to be self-sufficient once it has reached "adulthood", save for charging the device.
Sweekar emits body warmth and gentle breathing rhythms to create "a more lifelike presence and a stronger sense of emotional connection" with its user, according to Takway.
Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the pet is fitted with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)-based behavioural modelling, which is designed to shape each Sweekar's individual personality through interacting with its user.
The pet is supported by a combination of Gemini Flash and Chat GPT-class models, which allow it to continue learning over time and develop context-aware responses and multimodal interaction.
"A built-in long-term emotional memory enables the device to remember user preferences, moods, and past conversations," explained Takway.
"Its language capabilities progress gradually from simple, baby-like sounds to fluent dialogue as the AI matures," added the startup.
"Sweekar is the world's first emotionally intelligent, physically growing AI pet, marking a major milestone in the evolution of AI companionship".
Takway was launched in 2024 with the goal of making AI "feel warm, playful and emotionally present".
The brand unveiled Sweekar at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which concludes today.
Other projects on display at CES this year have ranged from the "world's first ultrasonic chef's knife" to colour-shifting versions of Sabine Marcelis's "doughnut lamps" she created for IKEA.
The images are courtesy of Takway.
The Consumer Electronics Show 2026 takes place in Las Vegas, USA, from 6 to 9 January 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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