Romo takes a bow on the TED2013 stage. Photo: James Duncan Davidson

Childhood pals Keller Rinaudo, Phu Nguyen and Peter Seid had a simple motivation for creating the smartphone toy robot Romo. As Rinaudo told CNET, it was because most personal robots on the market are simply “sucky.”

Keller Rinaudo: A mini robot -- powered by your phoneRinaudo, Nguyen and Seid — who founded the company Romotive — set out to build a personal robot that harnesses the powerful processor available in every smartphone. They aimed to make their bot highly programmable. And they wanted it to have a lot of personality.

“We think if you’re going to have a robot in your home, that robot should be a manifestation of your imagination,” says Rinaudo in yesterday’s talk, filmed at TED2013. “We don’t know where the future of robots will go. But what we do know that it isn’t 10 years or $10  billion away … The future of personal robotics is happening today.”

So how does Romo work? Your iPhone docks into a robotic base that looks a bit like a white and blue tank. When you download the Romo app, the bot springs to life, giving you facial expressions and responding to your movements. Romo can be driven, and thus can perform simple tasks for you. He can even be a roaming photographer or videographer.

Romo starts shipping in June. Meanwhile, online ads for the bot proclaim, “I’m Romo the Robot, your pet and friend.” Naturally, this reminds us of a few prior inventions that also attempted to blur these lines.

Here, a look…

Giga Pets
Often credited as the “first virtual pet,” Giga Pets were released in 1997 by Tiger Toys. While the 2-bit graphic keychain critters seem quaint now, they were much-loved at the time for their ability to tell their owners when they were hungry. (Yes, they grew with proper care.) Above, a vintage commercial.

The Furby
For anyone who scoured toystores and braved unthinkable lines during the holiday season of 1998 — in hopes of getting their hands on a Furby  – the concept of an electronic pet will sound familiar. The owl-like robotic toys started out speaking “Furbish.” But over time – with human interaction – they learned bits of English and developed personalities. According to Wikipedia, more than 40 million were sold in their first three years on the market. Hasbro revived Furbies in 2012 – this time with an app that allows people to translate Furbish as well as feed the little guys.

AIBO
A year after the Furby, Businessweek ran an article about a new offering from Sony – the robotic puppy AIBO. The article opened, “Toshi T. Doi, Sony Corp.’s leading computer engineer, is obsessed with robots. His small, third-floor lab is a breeding ground for robotic pups taking their first wobbly steps, chasing balls, and barking for attention. ‘We’re getting ready for the age of digital creatures,’ says Doi.” These cute pups, which cost more than $2000, lasted through 2005.

i-Cybie
AIBO inspired many a robotic dog—the cutest of which was i-Cybie, from Silverlit Toys. I-Cybie could respond to voice commands, a la “wag your tail,” and exhibited what seemed like real emotions. The adorable metal dog could even pick itself up if it fell down. Read this New York Times piece on how this virtual pet arrived in the U.S.

PARO
PARO, the “healing robotic seal,” comes to life when you say his name. Thanks to tactile sensors, writes Mashable, he responds to petting and coos excitedly when you rub his forehead. Why was he designed? Japanese company AIST explains on their website that he was created to provide the benefits of animal therapy – reduced stress, emotional stimulation – to people in hospitals and other environments where a real-life pet wouldn’t be allowed. He’s been covered in The New York Times … and tested by Barack Obama.

Pleo
Who wouldn’t want a miniature dinosaur? In the TED Talk “Caleb Chung plays with Pleo,” the famed toy designer introduces us to Pleo, a robotic dinosaur that acts like a pet. Pleo is curious about the world around it and explores, plays and even learns. The bot responds to touch and, of course, cuddles. Reborn in 2010 as Pleo rb, these bots now have born-in personality traits — think courage and obedience — and go through a four-stage life cycle.

Sometimes, it feels like your smartphone is your friend. But if Keller Rinaudo has his way, your phone may be more like a pet.

Rinaudo, the co-founder and CEO of Romotive, has created Romo, a smartphone robot. Your phone docks into a robotic base that looks a bit like a powdery blue tank. When you download the Romo app, the bot comes to life. He can smile at you and jumps back if you make a sudden movement. He can be driven, and he’ll snap photos and stream video. He’s affordable (about $150) and highly programmable. But more than that, Romo is intended to be a companion with a personality.

“We think if you’re going to have a robot in your home, that robot should be a manifestation of your imagination,” says Rinaudo. “We don’t know where the future of robots will go. But what we do know that it isn’t 10 years or $10  billion away … The future of personal robotics is happening today.”

Here, see photos of Rinaudo demoing Romo on the TED stage. And below, a video of what Romo can do.

Keller Rinaudo’s TED Talk has been posted. Watch it here»

In session 1 of TED2013, we are meeting many new robots. First, we watched the amazing clip above of a troupe of tiny humanoid Nao robots dancing intricate choreography in unison. (They were presented by Bruno Maisonnier of Aldebaran Robotics at TEDxConcorde and beamed straight to the TED stage.) Next, Rodney Brooks unveiled Baxter, the human–like bot who can do mundane tasks for you. And finally, Keller Rinaudo introduced us to Romo, the smartphone robot, an affordable device that makes a cell phone into a pet.

Nearly every year at TED, we get a peek at the incredible advances going on in the fields of robotics. Below, the best robots from TED events past in reverse chronological order.

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperateVijay Kumar: Robots that fly … and cooperate The Event: TED2012 The Robots: Autonomous agile aerial robots What they do: These tiny, 8-inch flying quadrotors know where they are without GPS, and their small size makes them able to turn, circle and flip — extremely quickly. But these bots can also work together. Forming teams, they can transport cargo, build things, assess damage after disasters — even map radiation and leaks in unsafe areas. See them in action: Watch them flip at 3:46. Watch one navigate obstacles at 7:17. And fast-forward to 10:05 to see a choreographed swarm.

A robot that flies like a birdA robot that flies like a bird The Event: TEDGlobal 2011 The Robot: SmartBird What it does: Modeled after a seagull, this robot is light and aerodynamic. And it flies by flapping its wings, allowing engineers to study what we can learn from bird motion. See it in action: Watch it start flapping and take off at 2:08, taking several flying loops around the TEDGlobal theater.

Péter Fankhauser: Meet Rezero, the dancing ballbotPeter Fankhauser: Meet Rezero, the dancing ballbot The Event: TEDGlobal 2011 The Robot: Rezero What it does: This robot can dance. Technically a ballbot, he balances on a single, large ball rather than on multiple wheels — which allows for ballet-like movement. These robots could be used in a hospital to carry equipment, or could even be a form of transportation. See it in action: See Rezero’s balance checked at 1:48. And watch him full-out dance and pirouette at 3:57.

Cynthia Breazeal: The rise of personal robotsCynthia Breazeal: The rise of personal robots The Event: TEDWomen 2010 The Robots: Kismet, Leo and Autumn What they do: Meet the world’s first social robots, able to learn from us, listen to us and even teach us how they interact. The cutest robot around, furry Leo reacts to social cues as he is presented with an unfamiliar object – much like a child, he looks to people to learn how he should react. Autumn is a diet and exercise coach who can motivate you to set healthy goals. These social robots can be used to get kids away from screens and playing physically – as the characters go back and forth between the screen and the real world. See them in action: Watch Kismet listening to one of Breazeal’s teammates at 1:31. See Leo learn in real time at 2:34. Get a glimpse of Autumn at 8:44. And at 11:33, watch the playful robots move between realities.

Heather Knight: Silicon-based comedyHeather Knight: Silicon-based comedy The Event: TEDWomen2010 The Robot: Data What it does: This robot has jokes — and lots of them. Using a database of humor, Data creates stand-up routines on the fly. It learns from laughter and applause, figuring out what is working and what isn’t — and tailors its humor based on the reaction. See it in action: Get ready to laugh at 3:30.

David Hanson: Robots that "show emotion"David Hanson: Robots that “show emotion” The Event: TED2009 The Robot: Einstein What it does:  This robot has empathy. Rather than bleeping, a la R2-D2, Hanson’s robots have faces — made of Frubber — making them look and act as if they were human. These robots show emotions and react to the expressions of others with facial gestures of their own. See it in action: See Einstein brought back to life at 2:10.

PW Singer on military robots and the future of warPW Singer on military robots and the future of wars The Event: TED2009 The Robots: PackBot, robotic tanks, drones What they do: These robots go to war zones and perform tasks that are too dangerous for humans. Singer begins his talk with the story of PackBot, a robot who went to Iraq to investigate IEDs and lost his life in a blast. In this prescient talk from early 2009, Singer predicts we may see tens of thousands of robots both fighting wars and keeping peace alongside living soldiers. See them in action: At 3:45, see images of the robots currently in use in war zones.

Hod Lipson builds "self-aware" robotsHod Lipson builds “self-aware” robots The Event: TED2007 The Robots: Self-aware robots What they do: These robots evolve. Hod Lipson applied natural selection to robots – rewarding those that succeeded in moving forward, and denying those that did not. As a result, they’ve gradually become more advanced. Some of these models do not know their shape, initially, but learn how to move through processes of elimination. They use programmed “self-models” to understand a unique, unprogrammed way to move. See them in action: Watch a robot learn how to move at 3:57. And at 5:23, watch robots whose form of reward is self-replication — it grows as it absorbs other robots.

Rodney Brooks says robots will invade our livesRodney Brooks says robots will invade our lives The Event: TED2003 The Robots: Roomba, PackBot and Kismet What they do: Roomba, the vacuum cleaner ‘bot, easily navigates around objects and learns where to clean as it goes. More complex is PackBot, also described above, which catalogues local information and has the ability to communicate from areas too dangerous to search for survivors. Also, get another demonstration of Kismet’s ability to react and communicate. See them in action: At 2:51, see a demonstration of Roomba at work. Watch 5:00, for PackBot. And cut to 11:02 for Kismet’s response to social cues. And: Rodney Brooks is bringing his newest robot, Baxter, to TED2013.

Dean Kamen on inventing and givingDean Kamen on inventing and giving The Event: TED2002 The Robot: The Segway What it does: These robots help you get around, without expending energy, relying on gas or requiring a parking spot. The idea: efficiency in a motorized platform that is the size of a person. See it in action: Watch it all. Kamen gives his entire talk aboard a Segway.

Stay tuned to the TED Blog for beat-by-beat coverage of TED2013.

Note: This post originally ran as a pre-TED2013 piece. It was updated on February 26, to reflect three new robots appearing on the TED stage in Session 1, “Progress Enigma.”