Guides
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The essentials of synthetic companionship, explained from the ground up. No jargon, no hype — just what's real, what isn't, and what's coming.
- 01Basics2 min read
What is a humanoid companion?
The difference between a chatbot, a sex doll, and the new class of machine that's trying to be neither — and both.
- 02Realism2 min read
How realistic are humanoid companions, really?
A clear-eyed look at the uncanny valley, synthetic skin, and the difference between a great photo and a convincing minute.
- 03Technology2 min read
The anatomy of a companion
Four systems have to work at once — the face, the skin, the body, and the mind. Here's how each one actually works, and where it breaks.
- 04Buying2 min read
Can you buy one today?
Yes — but read this first. What's actually purchasable in 2026, what it costs, and the catches nobody puts in the brochure.
- 05Ownership4 min read
Privacy and data: the machine that lives with you
It has eyes, ears, and a memory — and a company on the other end of the connection. What a humanoid companion actually collects, where that data goes, and what to ask before one moves in.
- 06Ownership3 min read
The true cost of ownership
The body price is the headline, not the bill. Subscriptions, maintenance, wear, and the resale market that doesn't exist — what a companion robot really costs over one, three, and five years.
- 07Buying2 min read
How much does a companion robot cost?
From a $16,000 research biped to a $146,500 flagship companion — every real price in the field, what the money actually buys, and the subscriptions nobody mentions in the launch video.
- 08Buying2 min read
How to choose a companion robot
Six questions that sort the field better than any spec sheet: what you want it for, the form, the honest budget, the ship-date truth, the privacy posture, and what happens if the maker dies.
- 09Basics2 min read
Sex robots vs. companion robots: what's the actual difference?
The two categories get conflated in every headline. One descends from the doll; the other from the chatbot and the humanoid. Where the line really sits — and why the industry is careful about it.
- 10Care2 min read
Companion robots for seniors and eldercare
The strongest case for this technology has nothing to do with romance. What actually exists for older adults — from a robotic seal to a lifelike nurse — what the evidence says, and the questions families should ask.
- 11Basics2 min read
AI girlfriend apps vs. robot companions
Tens of millions of people already have an AI companion — on a screen, for $20 a month. What a $20,000+ body actually adds, what it doesn't, and why the apps are both the gateway and the warning label.
- 12Realism2 min read
The uncanny valley, explained
A 1970 sketch by a Japanese roboticist predicted exactly why today's most expensive robot faces can still make your skin crawl — and why movement, not looks, is the hard part. The idea every companion maker is betting against.
The briefing
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