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EMO

The Tracker

EMO

Living.AI · Specialty RobotsIIAssistedReady Now
ActivityLiveLast entry Apr 27, 2023Robot profile
Changes recorded3Since Nov 2020
Latest changeApr 272023Major advance
ClassificationStableNo change to its level or readiness since Nov 2020
Sources cited6linksAcross 6 domains

Every change to EMO, quarter by quarter

Each square is one change, in the quarter it happened and the row for its direction, from Oct 2020 to today. Choose a square to read it, or a direction to show only those changes.

2020202120222023202420252026Apr 27, 2023 · Major advance · EMO firmware 2.2.0 adds ChatGPT conversation and AI portrait drawingFeb 28, 2022 · Sideways · Federal court narrows Digital Dream Labs’ copyright claims against EMONov 27, 2020 · Setback · Digital Dream Labs copyright complaint forces Living.AI to pull EMO’s Kickstarter listingToday

2023

1 change

  • 1 major advance
Major advance

EMO firmware 2.2.0 adds ChatGPT conversation and AI portrait drawing

Firmware 2.2.0, released April 27, 2023, gave EMO a voice-triggered connection to ChatGPT for open conversation, replacing scripted responses with cloud-based dialogue, and added an AI Painting feature that renders anime-style portraits on command.

Update · Softwareforums.living.ai
Full assessment3 claims · 4 technical notes · 2 sources
UpdateSoftwareMajor advance

Where it stands
EMO
Autonomy Ladder
Level IIAssisted Autonomy
Human Readiness
Robovations Score
44Limited
What happened

Living.AI's release notes describe the ChatGPT link as an addition outside the original update roadmap. Long-term reliability of the cloud-dependent conversation feature was still unproven.

Bottom line

The ChatGPT connection reached EMO as an added feature, not a planned core update.

Impact

On autonomy

  • ChatGPT connection replaces scripted dialogue with open, cloud-generated spoken responses on command.
  • AI Painting adds an on-demand anime-style portrait feature triggered by specific voice phrases.

On readiness

  • Conversational range expanded substantially, though functionality now depends on Living.AI's cloud service uptime.
  • Two-stage rollout meant owners had to install both the pre-update and 2.2.0 in sequence.
Claim check

3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.

Living.AI promoted 2.2.0 as bringing ChatGPT-powered conversation to EMO
Documented findingLivingAI Forums release notes confirm the update adds a voice-triggered ChatGPT connection alongside a separate AI Painting feature
The update was framed as a planned milestone in EMO's roadmap
Documented findingLiving.AI's own release notes state ChatGPT and AI Painting were not on the original update route and were added due to user interest
Marketing suggested seamless AI conversation from the moment of release
Documented findingLiving.AI's release notes acknowledged the ChatGPT service could be unstable at launch and would be patched as issues arose
Evidence

2 sources · all linked

  1. 1LivingAI Forums27 Apr 2023
  2. 2Toolify
Technical notes
4 sections

Firmware Changes

Living.AI’s firmware update 2.2.0, released April 27, 2023, followed the March 11, 2023 release of firmware 2.1.0. The rollout shipped in two stages, a 2.2 pre-update followed by the full 2.2.0 build, both required to reach the new features.

ChatGPT Connection

Saying “connect to ChatGPT” or “connect to OpenAI” links EMO to the ChatGPT service for open conversation, including generating jokes, poems, and stories on request, in place of the robot’s earlier scripted response set for that mode.

AI Painting

Voice commands such as “anime woman,” “anime man,” “anime boy,” and “anime girl” trigger EMO’s AI Painting feature, which renders an anime-style portrait of the person addressing it.

Developer Notes

Living.AI’s release notes state ChatGPT and AI Painting were not part of the originally planned update sequence and were added in response to user interest, and that the cloud-dependent service could be unstable at launch.

2022

1 change

  • 1 sideways
Sideways

Federal court narrows Digital Dream Labs' copyright claims against EMO

The US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania dismissed Digital Dream Labs' claim that EMO's physical sculpture infringed Vector and Cozmo copyrights, finding no reasonable jury could call the shapes substantially similar.

News · Commercialcaselaw.findlaw.com
Full assessment3 claims · 3 technical notes · 2 sources
NewsCommercialSideways

Where it stands
EMO
Autonomy Ladder
Level IIAssisted Autonomy
Human Readiness
Robovations Score
44Limited
What happened

Claims over EMO's facial animations, sounds, and trademark use survived the same ruling. Whether the narrower case would reach trial or settle remained unresolved.

Bottom line

The ruling cleared EMO's physical shape but left its facial animations and sounds in ongoing dispute.

Impact

On autonomy

  • The ruling addressed copyright and trademark claims only; EMO's onboard capabilities were untouched.
  • No hardware, sensing, or software functionality changed as a result of the decision.

On readiness

  • The partial dismissal removed one legal risk to EMO's continued US availability.
  • Trademark and audiovisual copyright claims remained pending, leaving some commercial uncertainty unresolved.
Claim check

3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.

Living.AI has presented EMO's physical design as its own original character
Documented findingThe court found no reasonable jury could call EMO's three-dimensional sculpture substantially similar to Vector or Cozmo and dismissed that claim
Digital Dream Labs sought to block EMO sales over its claimed trade dress
Documented findingThe trade dress claim was dismissed for failing to specify which visual elements it covered
The design dispute appeared settled once the 2020 copyright registrations were filed
Documented findingThe court let Digital Dream Labs' audiovisual copyright and trademark claims over EMO's facial animations and sounds proceed toward further litigation
Evidence

2 sources · all linked

  1. 1FindLaw28 Feb 2022
  2. 2vLex
Technical notes
3 sections

The Ruling

On February 28, 2022, the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled on cross-motions in Digital Dream Labs, LLC v. Living Technology (Shenzhen) Co., case number 2:20-cv-01500. The court dismissed Digital Dream Labs’ claim that EMO’s three-dimensional physical sculpture infringed copyrights covering the Vector and Cozmo robots, finding no reasonable jury could call the shapes substantially similar when compared side by side.

Claims That Survived

The court let Digital Dream Labs’ copyright claim over the audiovisual work of Vector and Cozmo’s facial screen displays and sounds proceed, along with its trademark infringement claim, finding additional discovery necessary before ruling on Living.AI’s nominative fair use defense.

Claims Dismissed

Digital Dream Labs’ trade dress infringement claim was dismissed separately for failing to identify which specific visual elements made up the claimed trade dress.

2020

1 change

  • 1 setback
Setback

Digital Dream Labs copyright complaint forces Living.AI to pull EMO's Kickstarter listing

Digital Dream Labs, holder of copyrights covering the Vector and Cozmo robots, filed a DMCA complaint that led Kickstarter to remove Living.AI's already-funded EMO campaign by November 27, 2020.

Shown large: a setback changes what an owner should expect.

News · Commercialvector.thedroidyouarelookingfor.info
Full assessment3 claims · 3 technical notes · 2 sources
NewsCommercialSetback

Where it stands
EMO
Autonomy Ladder
Level IIAssisted Autonomy
Human Readiness
Robovations Score
44Limited
What happened

Backers were redirected to Living.AI's own website and forum to track orders outside Kickstarter's standard protections. Whether the underlying design dispute would resolve in EMO's favor remained unsettled.

Bottom line

The copyright dispute reached EMO's crowdfunding listing twice before the robot ever shipped.

Impact

On autonomy

  • Kickstarter takedown did not alter EMO's onboard sensing, navigation, or interaction capabilities.
  • Living.AI's product roadmap and feature set were unaffected by the listing removal.

On readiness

  • Consumer availability shifted from Kickstarter's checkout to Living.AI's own pre-order pipeline.
  • Backers lost Kickstarter's standard buyer protections when the campaign listing was pulled.
Claim check

3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.

Living.AI marketed EMO's design and personality as original to the desktop robot category
Documented findingDigital Dream Labs alleged EMO's facial animations and sounds were substantially similar to its Vector and Cozmo copyrights, per the DMCA filing
Kickstarter promised backers a funded, on-track path to shipping
Documented findingKickstarter removed the live EMO listing by November 27, 2020 over the copyright complaint
The Kickstarter relaunch was presented as a clean break from EMO's earlier crowdfunding history
Documented findingThe same rights holder had already forced Living.AI's prior Indiegogo campaign offline over a similar complaint
Evidence

2 sources · all linked

  1. 1The Droid You Are Looking For2 Dec 2020
  2. 2Kickstarter DMCA Notice27 Nov 2020
Technical notes

3 sections

Campaign Background

Living.AI’s EMO campaign launched on Kickstarter after an earlier Indiegogo listing for the same desktop robot had already been taken offline following a cease and desist from Digital Dream Labs. The Kickstarter campaign ran November 26 to December 31, reached its $50,000 goal within 30 minutes of launch, and closed having raised $347,996 from 2,126 backers.

The Copyright Complaint

Digital Dream Labs, which holds the intellectual property of the discontinued Anki robots Vector and Cozmo, filed a DMCA complaint citing two US copyright registrations issued November 25, 2020 covering the three-dimensional sculpture and audiovisual work of those robots. The complaint alleged EMO’s facial graphics, animations, and sounds were substantially similar. Kickstarter removed the EMO listing by November 27, 2020.

Aftermath

Living.AI moved order tracking to its own website and forum, telling backers pledges remained secured and that charges would follow Kickstarter’s normal funding process. Digital Dream Labs separately filed a takedown notice against an unofficial EMO fan group on Facebook.

Tracking began here, on November 27, 2020. Three changes logged in all.

How a change gets its direction

  • Major advance

    A significant step that changes what the robot can do on its own, or whether a buyer can rely on it.

  • Step forward

    A small improvement that refines what the robot already does, without changing its assessment.

  • Sideways

    Neither better nor worse for an owner: a price move, a newer model named, a review that confirms what we knew.

  • Setback

    A change that makes performance, reliability or ownership worse: a regression, a removed feature, a newly found flaw.

Every recent change, on the Tracker

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The record

EMO

Level II, Assisted Autonomy · Ready Now