If you think you’d like to take on a pet at the family home but just don’t have the time and responsibility, perhaps a robotic companion could be the next best thing.

John Stanley spoke with Dr Belinda Dunstan from the UNSW Built Environment on Nights about the latest developments in robotic pets.

Dr Belinda is a researcher in social robotics and says the technology has come a long way since its early days.

She’s told John Stanley the idea became popular with more people naming robotic vacuums.

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