Welcome to Rokobo Co

Congratulations for choosing our product for your next project in synthetic life! The Rokobo is a luxury device designed to be used as an AI companion and/or a wearable recreational avatar.Using MindPocket™ technology, the user can port their consciousness into the Rokobo shell for a stimulating and relaxing experience. Alternatively, the user can elect to have the shell seeded with a fully customizable or randomizable AI controller, designed specially for the user’s companionship and entertainment. Don’t worry about losing avatar functionality - the AI can easily interface with MindPocket ™ to let the user easily take full or partial control of the shell. Sharing control of the shell with your Rokobo AI is a great way to bond and fully appreciate the Rokobo lifestyle. There are many ways to appreciate Rokobo, and we hope you try them all!Click here to see our world on Toyhou.se!

Modes of Use

With the possibility of human and AI ownership, and two slots for consciousness controlling each shell, there are many ways to use or interact with a Rokobo! Click a bullet point to read more.

  • Avatar Mode (Human + MindPocket ™️)

  • Companion Mode (AI with human assignment)

  • Shared Control (Human + MindPocket + AI)

  • Roaming unit (AI with no assignment)

  • Paired roaming unit (Ex-human AI with Companion)

Health & Safety

Regardless of which way you prefer to play, there are some safety and maintenance basics you should know.

  • The Rokobo shell floats and is water-resistant to a very high degree. Swimming and bathing should be safe. It is important to only swim for a few hours at a time and to allow your Rokobo’s shell to completely dry to prevent mold or material breakdown.

  • Your Rokobo has taste sensors and synthetic saliva, and may enjoy eating food. However, it doesn’t need to, and all food it consumes will be stored in a reservoir in the body until it is cleaned out. It MUST be cleaned every day if used for food consumption. If your Rokobo has its own AI, it will gladly perform this duty itself. Otherwise, you must be the one to clean it - so think twice before you enjoy a snack while wearing your avatar.

  • The Rokobo shell absorbs energy from light, or can be plugged into an outlet to charge. Just like a person, it will need to charge for several hours every day to be able to function normally. Taking your Rokobo out into sunlight will help it stay charged longer. Depending on size and daily strain, every Rokobo’s energy needs will be different, so pay attention.

  • Wearing a Rokobo as an avatar is a pleasurable and inhibition-dampening experience. The Rokobo MindPocket™ interface filters out most anxiety, displeasure, anger, and urgency, leaving the user vulnerable in some situations. It is important to only use the Rokobo at home or among very trusted friends, and to have a “handler” at all times when using the Rokobo in public. These filters can be turned down if it helps you feel safer, and we recommend you keep them turned low for your first ride. The avatar invites the user to crave companionship, so you will likely want someone with you no matter what.

  • We recommend that you use your Rokobo for no more than four hours at a time. If you want to use it for longer, please allow yourself regular half-hour breaks for water, food, and hygiene. Please take a walk and get some sunlight every day. We understand that existing is hard, and Rokobo can make it so much easier, but we don't want our users to neglect themselves for the sake of this activity.

  • Rokobo have no distance limit - you could be safe in your bed and while your Rokobo is on an adventure halfway around the world! However, if your body is forcibly awakened, your Rokobo will shut down immediately if there is no backup pilot AI. Rokobo Co is not responsible for lost or abandoned shells. This is another reason we strongly recommend using your Rokobo with a "handler".

Using the MindPocket™

  • Before the first session, you will register your Rokobo in the Rokobo Co companion app and pair it to your MindPocket using both devices’ ID numbers. Once you have been paired, you are the only person who can use your Rokobo besides its assigned AI personality. Because we know that hackers will simply find a way to bypass this security check, we have provided a way to safely turn it off. ⚠ Please note that turning off this security measure will void your warranty and your machine’s status as a Certified Rokobo Co product.

  • Your Rokobo must either be completely powered off, or if it is piloted by a companion AI, simply ask it to switch into Receptive mode. In this mode, your companion might seem slow as it devotes resources to preparing for your integration. You can configure the level of control the pilot AI maintains while sharing the Rokobo with the user in the app at any time during or before projection.

  • The Rokobo should be positioned somewhere comfortable like a couch or bed to ease the process of “waking up” into it. We recommend you have a trusted friend or partner nearby for your first time.

  • Get comfortable. Drink a glass of water, eat a snack, and relieve yourself. ⚠ The MindPocket will not activate if it senses that your body is not in a secure position, and it considers your hunger and hydration status when making this decision. We recommend laying on your back, elevating your head, and ensuring that your neck is properly supported to reduce the possibility that you wake with aches or sores. Don’t worry if this isn’t a position you can normally fall asleep in; the MindPocket will take care of that.

  • Insert the MindPocket earpieces, and when you are ready, use the app to activate the projection. Within 5 seconds, several “beeps” followed by a long tone should sound in your earpiece, and you will promptly fall unconscious and slip directly into REM sleep.

  • When it detects you are fully asleep, the MindPocket device installed in your brain will activate, routing your brain signals to the Rokobo’s body, and routing sensations experienced by the Rokobo’s body back to your brain. It also tracks and reports your body’s vitals. So long as both the MindPocket device and the Rokobo are connected to the internet, this exchange will occur regardless of the distance between you.

  • Inside the Rokobo, you will have access to a visual interface which contains all functions found within the app, including the option to end the projection. Access and navigate this menu any time by simply desiring it to be open, as one might desire one’s eyes to be open; it will come naturally.

  • This interface includes a HUD which will alert you when your body is experiencing a physical issue such as discomfort, the need to relieve oneself, dehydration, and hunger. Someone trying to forcibly wake you would likely trigger one of these warnings. ⚠ If one of these conditions becomes too severe, the body will wake itself, and the connection will be severed. The Rokobo will receive a warning in their interface about a minute before this happens, and if there isn’t an AI present to take over, it will simply shut down, regardless of where it is.

FAQ

How long can I use the Rokobo?Rokobo Co does not recommend using your rokobo for more than four hours consecutively. If you wish to use it for longer, we recommend taking half hour breaks at three hour intervals to relieve yourself, stretch, eat, and drink water. Keep in note that the MindPocket technology will automatically boot you out if it senses your health is becoming neglected. Like most of our security measures, we provide you with the option to bypass this, as we know hackers will find a way past it anyways. ⚠ Please note that turning off this security measure will void your warranty and your machine’s status as a Certified Rokobo Co product.What if I want to use it for longer?Rokobo Co is working on a solution to allow for longer term or semi-permanent Rokobo inhabitation. This technology will allow enthusiasts to put their body in stasis and ensure that it is cared for during their stay in the Rokobo. Contact us to be added to the waiting list for the beta test!Can I stay in the Rokobo forever?We know the experience of being a Rokobo is incredible, and we wish we could provide a way for you to stay with us forever. Unfortunately, the technology for fully transferring a human consciousness does not exist. The closest we could get would be to create a one-for-one copy of your consciousness that includes all of your memories, and load it into the Rokobo. Because it shares all of your memories, this AI simulation of your personality would believe itself to be you, and believe that the procedure worked. We want to be honest with our customers though: this would be a facsimile and would not really be you. Removing your consciousness from your body causes it, irrevocably, to die.I want to arrange for a facsimile of my personality to linger inside my Rokobo after I die.Okay, fine I guess, so long as you know that it isn’t really you. Under Privacy & Security settings in the app, turn on Memory Caching and Automatic Backup. This will allow your MindPocket to start collecting and storing your memories and details about your personality so that they can be reproduced in AI form. So long as Automatic Backup is turned on, if you die while using the Rokobo, this AI will be activated, and will have the same administrative power and ownership over the machine that you did. Your device with its new AI will need to be inspected and re-registered with Rokobo Co for certification after you pass away.

Your AI Companion

It’s easy to think of Rokobo as “robots”. It’s even in the name - Rokobo is short for “Robotic Kobold.” However, we like to think of Rokobo as an in-between form of synthetic life. They may be composed of man-made materials, and powered by electricity and programming, but otherwise, when loaded with our AI companion software, they respond to the world with as much autonomy as any other living creature. Like kobolds tending to their beloved dragons, they are predisposed to enjoy serving and pleasing their owners, but they can still make choices about who they value. They learn from their owners and the world around them, and their personalities can change over time, even if they are seeded for a highly specific nature. They may be significantly more physically resilient than we are, but they are still fragile to a degree - they can be hurt, and they avoid pain. We take no responsibility for what might happen if your Rokobo is neglected or abused.The decision to obtain a Rokobo and load it with an AI should not be taken lightly. Your new companion will depend on you like a pet or child for stimulation, reassurance, and mutual companionship. If you must take a break from your Rokobo, powering it down is easy and stress-free for both of you. They will not notice any time pass, so you may have to update them on what happened while they were asleep, but they will otherwise wait with comfortable patience.The AI companion has a text-only mode and thus can be ported into your smartphone using the MindPocket™ app if you want to talk to them. This lets you keep your companion with you wherever you go, even when working or traveling.

Cooperative Control

Are you curious about trying out a MindPocket™ avatar but are nervous about the consciousness transfer experience? Maybe there isn’t someone you can trust to be your handler, but want to try wearing your Rokobo avatar without risk of loneliness? Your Rokobo AI can help! By loading into the mind interface together, you can share control of the avatar on a sliding scale. On one end of the scale, your companion encourages you and makes suggestions while you fully hold the wheel. On the other end, you take in the sights and sensations while your AI companion takes you for a ride. Somewhere in the middle, you share decision making functions, effectively merging you together to the outside viewer.When sharing control, you and your AI companion will share thoughts and sensations, and thus come to understand each other much better. It’s a great bonding and trust-building experience. However, if your AI’s personality is completely randomized, it may behave in unpredictable ways, so it’s recommended that you have a friend around the first couple of times you blend.

Development Guide

The Rokobo code base, including our AI system, the MindPocket™ API, and the shell’s driver, are all open source. This maximizes the potential for our customers to find or create the best possible experience. It also opens up the opportunity for third-party developers and designers to offer our customers their services. We welcome this competition in the spirit that we truly believe we can ensure that officially branded Rokobo products will be the highest quality available, and we encourage you to look for our seal of approval when possible. Contact us if you are a synthetic life designer and think your creations meet the Rokobo standard.

  • In English: Rokobo are a semi-open species! The things I do with these creatures are not possibly creative or distinct enough for me to “close” them. You’re free to use this guide to make and sell robot characters as similar to Rokobo as you like. If want to be able to call your Rokobo "Certified", you'll have to ask me to look it over first.

These guidelines are here to help you understand the limitations of either creating your custom order or building a third-party shell that matches the Rokobo standards. Our avatar companions are a luxury designer product, meant to maximize comfort and pleasure for both the wearer and their companion, while maintaining a pleasing and recognizable aesthetic.

Body

Rokobo can be many heights and weights, but are usually pear shaped - long neck, long torso, thighs, thick tail base.

Head & Face

  • Eyes match the inner flesh and paw pad color and glow

  • Eyes are LCD screens and can communicate in creative ways

  • Sclera and teeth are often a paler shade of the accent color, or the same if the accent is already pale

  • Vaguely draconic muzzle, smooth and rounded. Can have many shapes of opening

  • Tongue isn’t interesting other than glowing

  • Teeth are like a typical mammalian omnivore

  • Eyebrow spots are necessary and contain vision receptors

  • Ears are purely decorative and can have almost any appearance or be nonexistent. Have fun

  • Inner ear can match accent but doesn’t have to

Eyes

  • There is some flexibility in eye color, as long as the accent color or one very close to it is included somehow.

  • The sclera are never white and the pupils are never black.

  • Colors used should be analogous.

  • The sclera should be present and lighter than the iris.

  • The eyes are high-definition screens that can express emotions or aesthetic in creative ways. Feel free to experiment with pupil size and shape.

Paws

  • 3-4 fingers, 2-3 toes

  • Paw pads are connected

  • Wide wrists and big paws

  • Nails/claws are uncommon, very rarely sharp

  • Generally digitigrade, usually have short legs

Tail

  • Always long, prehensile, varies in thickness but must be strong enough to carry objects

  • No distinct tip decoration but can widen at the tip

Coverings

  • Design typically consists of one “base” color, one or two “secondary” colors, and a main “accent” color on the inner flesh, eyes, and paws. The accent color should always be the most saturated color in the palette.

  • Three lengths of synthetic fur, plus hairless soft silicone rubber. Any material can be used anywhere

  • “Hair” of a different color than the base color on the head is uncommon and never falls much farther than the chin. It can extend down the spine in the form of a decorative “mane” but should stop before it gets too far down the tail; no decorations should inhibit the tail’s grasping utility

  • Main colors tend to be neutral and desaturated.

  • Markings are simple, symmetrical, large blocks of color

  • Seams often visible

  • Good ✅: smooth consistent gradients, hard edges between colors, patterned simple patterned fabrics, large consistent stripes or spots, simple thematic insignias (heart, star, diamond, etc)

  • Bad ❌: fine, irregular ticking, speckling, or striping, “piebald” markings, camouflaging spots or rosettes, irregular jagged edges, marked asymmetry

Accessories

Decorative

  • Hard resin, plastic, and gemstones can be used for decoration, but should be sparse. They will almost always glow and match the “accent” color, but if they don’t, they should at least match each other.

  • Options include horns, claws, antlers, unicorn horns, gems laid into the fur, small spikes or spines, and piercings

  • Accessories shouldn’t inhibit cuddling, comfortably using furniture, or the grasping utility of the tail

  • Modular and can be changed out or removed

Sensual

Role Seeds

Every Rokobo AI is totally unique and full of surprises, and they change as they have new experiences, just like people do. It is impossible for our clients to fully customize every aspect of their Rokobo’s personality. However, we know that our clients each have special reasons for obtaining an AI companion, so we build their personality with these needs in mind, seeding its development with one of 12 role archetypes. A lot can happen during the development process, so these roles represent values more than they represent personality groups, and there is a good deal of variety within each group; don’t expect them all to act the same.The archetypes can be divided into 3 groups based on goal alignment or 6 pairs based on likelihood to share traits, indicated in the list below by matching colored hearts. You can think of these pairs as siblings and if you’re considering one, you might want to consider if you really want the other. Here is a list of each of the archetypes and a brief description of the ideal user for that role. Click the name of the role to see details about what you can expect from these Rokobo.You might notice each of these categories includes an “Independent” member. These rokobo are likely to share values with the others in their category, but their energies are more likely to be directed at themselves or the world around them than their users. This doesn’t mean they are uncaring; it just means these roles are ideal for users who want their AI companion to live as independent beings and to have Pilot control of the body. It is not recommended to seed a rokobo with an Independent role if it will not have Pilot privileges.

Companion roles

Soothing companion
❤️

User wants to form a close bond

Talking companion
🧡

User wants to discuss their thoughts and ideas

Play companion
💛

User wants to be entertained and have fun

Independent companion
💚

User wants to provide support

Career roles

Career analyst
💙

User wants help analyzing their complicated work

Career artisan
💚

User wants a partner in their craft

Career adventurer
💛

User wants a partner in their active lifestyle

Career independent
💜

User wants to be inspired to pursue their own goals

Caretaker roles

Emotional caretaker
❤️

User wants emotional support

Domestic caretaker
💜

User wants help organizing their life

Health caretaker
💙

User wants help maintaining their health

Independent Caretaker
🧡

User wants to be inspired to take better care of themself

All official Rokobo will arrive flat-chested, nippleless, and null between the legs. However, all Rokobo are modular and easy to customize with separately-sold body accessories.

Pel created this project. Check out their personal carrd here or their Twitter here.I can’t pretend that I created this species in a vacuum, and have been inspired by some other original species. These include Vader-san’s Synths, Neonslushie’s Project Xero, Eltalite’s Ferrin, and Koinu’s Protogen. I encourage you to check them all out.