Leaving pets home alone has always come with a little guilt.
Cameras can show what they’re doing, and smart feeders can ensure they’re fed, but neither really answers the question that many owners worry about the most: how their pets are actually feeling.
Your pet’s new best friend might be a robot. At CES 2026, Tuya Smart introduced Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to provide cats and dogs with interaction and emotional stimulation during long periods of solitude.
Instead of sitting still like a camera, Aura moves through the home, plays with pets, and analyzes behavior to flag signs of stress or loneliness. Aura’s launch suggests pet owners are willing to invest in AI-powered tools for their pets’ emotional well-being.
CES debut puts emotional AI in the spotlight
According to Tuya Smart’s official announcement, the company debuted Aura at CES 2026 in Las Vegas as its first AI-powered companion robot designed specifically for household pets.
“Pets have become vital emotional companions for people — yet their own emotional needs are often overlooked,” Tuya said. The company added that long periods of solitude can result in behavioral issues such as hiding, excessive grooming, or loss of interest in treats — all signs of emotional distress.
Tuya also noted that Aura was built to bridge the gap between what traditional pet care devices offer and what pets actually need emotionally. “While traditional smart devices can handle basic tasks such as feeding or monitoring, they fall short of addressing pets’ deeper emotional needs,” Tuya emphasized.
How Aura engages pets at home
Aura is designed to move freely throughout a home using visual mapping and object recognition, allowing it to seek out pets instead of staying in a fixed location.
Tuya said the robot analyzes behavior and sound recognition to interpret a pet’s emotional state, whether they’re excited, anxious, lonely, or relaxed. Aura will then deliver real-time emotional reports to pet owners through a smartphone app.
Aura also interacts directly with pets through laser play, treat dispensing, simulated pet sounds, expressive animated eyes and facial expressions, and smart voice interaction.
An onboard camera automatically captures short videos of play sessions and quiet moments, giving owners a clearer picture of their pet’s day without constant live monitoring. The robot returns to its combined feeding and charging dock autonomously, allowing it to operate throughout the day with minimal owner involvement.
Mainstream attention and broader ambitions
Aura’s CES 2026 debut also drew mainstream attention beyond the show floor. Fox News highlighted the robot in its latest coverage, describing Aura as going beyond basic feeders and cameras by providing attention, interaction, and reassurance during long hours alone.
Beyond pet care, Tuya positioned Aura as an early example of what it calls physical AI, where autonomous hardware is paired with environmental awareness and proactive service. According to the company, the platform lays a “scalable foundation for future applications across elder care, home monitoring, and family connectivity.”
Aura also connects to Tuya’s extensive developer ecosystem, supporting services including smart pet boarding, health and medical care, behavior training, community engagement, and more.
Learn more about other smart pet apps in our rundown of the best AI tools for pet parents.