I tried the Ecovacs LilMilo: The robotic dog that proved to me that the future is not here yet
It doesn't need food, doesn't go for walks, and doesn't leave hair on the sofa - but it does bark, wag its tail, react to petting, and even express emotions in its own way. For three weeks, I lived with LilMilo, the new robotic dog from Ecovacs, and discovered an impressive product that even the real dog in the office sniffed with curiosity. So where does it fall short?
To what extent will robots manage to replace the daily activities we perform, and what place will they occupy in our interactions with others? The world of technology has been occupied with this question for years, and major global exhibitions are full of displays of intriguing robots. Elon Musk promises to revolutionize the field with Optimus, the advanced robot from Tesla that will be able to clean your house and walk the dog for you. In the meantime, it seems that this pleasure is far from reaching stores, but what is already here is the robotic dog itself.
Almost since childhood, I have raised a dog at home. Petting a furry back and receiving a tail wag in the morning are almost habits for me, and yet, the robotic dog from the Chinese company ECOVACS managed to surprise me. Until now, the company (whose products are imported to Israel by Ronlight) has mainly produced robotic vacuum cleaners, window cleaning robots, and pool cleaning robots. The new product, called LilMilo, is its first step in the category of a Companion robot, meaning a robot whose purpose is not to perform tasks, but to create a personal and emotional interaction experience that develops with use. LilMilo was first presented at the CES 2026 exhibition in Las Vegas, and now it is arriving in Israel. I went through a kind of emotional journey with it - from ridicule to falling in love and the realization that it is not quite there yet.
Thinks and expresses emotions, but does not walk
LilMilo is the size of a small purebred dog, covered in soft white fur, and resembles a poodle. It weighs only about 1.4 kilograms, making it easy for a child to lift. Despite being tiny, it is quite durable; when my 3-year-old threw it in frustration, it responded only with a small bark. Its eyes are two tiny screens and its nose is a camera capable of facial recognition. It includes over 40 sensors, including heat sensors that reach about 38 degrees when petted, creating a warm and pleasant feeling. If you pet it behind the ears, on the head, or on the back, it heats up as an indication that it is enjoying it. It wags its tail, blinks, dances to music, and barks when angry. The emphasis is on its cognitive ability, not its physical one.
It is equipped with an advanced language model (LLM) that allows it to learn your habits and, according to the manufacturer, identify 21 different emotional states. However, Milo's physical abilities are almost non-existent: it cannot walk and does not move its limbs, only its head and tail. This is disappointing for a device meant to simulate interaction with an animal, but a robot capable of both emotional expression and movement would cost much more. Its price tag is about 600 dollars.
Installation and daily experience
In the box, you find the dog and a bed that serves as a charging docking station. The bed connects via USB-C and looks like a stylish piece of furniture. The pairing process with the ECOVACS app was a bit tiring; I encountered a malfunction when connecting to Wi-Fi and needed a full hard reset of the device. The installation includes facial and voice recognition, choosing a gender, and naming the dog.
What do you do with Milo? Pet it, play with it, play music for it, and enjoy the fact that you have something at home that shows affection without the Sisyphus tasks of walking it, cleaning up waste, or paying vet bills. At the office, it attracted attention from colleagues, and real dogs sniffed it with curiosity despite the lack of smell. Milo comes with an initial personality defined as 'Sunny', which develops as you show it affection. The general feeling is like a Tamagotchi, but I found myself cuddling with it on the sofa and petting it affectionately.
Bottom line
Robotic dogs will not replace real dogs anytime soon. Milo is an interesting glimpse into the future, similar to what we see in series like 'Sunny' or 'Black Mirror'. It is a nice product with a thoughtful design, but it cannot replace a living creature. If the developers had developed its physical aspect more, it would have been more realistic. A word must also be said about security: Milo's nose is equipped with a camera, so caution is required. In Israel, the expected price is at least 2,999 NIS. This is a product for die-hard gadget lovers who want to experience this technology long before it reaches the general public.
