Our take
MarsCat walks, stretches, kneads, and recognizes faces and toys on a Raspberry Pi brain.
Our take in full, what's good, what's not
MarsCat walks, stretches, kneads, and recognizes faces and toys on a Raspberry Pi brain. It is plastic, programmable, and aimed at makers rather than caregivers. Every color and set showed sold out on the official store on September 5, 2026, so treat it as unavailable until that changes.
- Fully autonomous quadruped cat
- Open-source on the Developed Set
- Six personality types
- Sold out (Sept 2026)
- Hard plastic; not a comfort object
- $399 extended warranty says something about reliability expectations
Who it's for
Makers and robotics hobbyists, when it comes back in stock.
Who it's not for
- Hard plastic; not a comfort object
- $399 extended warranty says something about reliability expectations
Specs
| Price | $1,199–$1,399 |
| Moves | Walks |
| App / Wi-Fi | Required |
| Battery | 18650 Li-ion |
| Weight | Not published |
| Subscription | None |
| Warranty | Standard warranty |
All specs, in full
- Battery
- 18650 Li-ion (INR18650MJ); ~3 h charge; auto-docks below 10% (Premium/Developed sets)
- Weight
- Not published
- Size
- Life-size cat (dimensions not published)
- Materials / fur
- Hard plastic shell; no fur (accepts clothing)
- Sensors
- Camera (object/face recognition), touch sensors (head, chin, back), microphones (voice), Raspberry Pi 4 quad-core brain
- Sounds
- Meows and cat sounds
- Movement
- Fully autonomous quadruped — walks, runs, sits, stretches, kneads, plays with toys
- App required
- Yes
- Wifi required
- Yes
- Warranty
- Standard warranty (length not stated); optional 12-month extended $399
- Subscription
- None
Opens the retailer in a new tab. You buy from them; they handle delivery, returns and warranty. We may earn a commission — it never changes our pick.
Notable features
- Only walking robot cat sold to consumers; six personality types
- Open-source/programmable (Developed Set) on Raspberry Pi
- Recognizes toys, faces, voice; customizable eye color via app
Limitations reported by owners and reviewers
- Sold out on official store (Sept 2026) — availability uncertain
- Expensive; ships from China; extended warranty costs $399
- Plastic, not cuddly — not suited to dementia care
- Standard/Premium sets lack programming access
Evidence and real-world use
We found no peer-reviewed studies or documented care-program deployments for this product as of September 5, 2026. That is normal for consumer robots; it just means claims about wellbeing benefits are the manufacturer's, not independent.
How we know this, and sources
Specs and prices come from the manufacturer's own pages and press releases, checked on September 5, 2026; owner-reported limitations come from published reviews and caregiver forums. We have not yet tested this unit hands-on — what that means. Price confidence: high.
Price note: shop.elephantrobotics.com: $1,199 sale (list $1,399), Standard Set; Premium and Developed Sets (with charging station and bowl) cost more; extended 12-month warranty $399. All colors/sets showed SOLD OUT on Sept 5, 2026.
- shop.elephantrobotics.com/products/marscat-a-bionic-cat-a-home-robot
- shop.elephantrobotics.com/collections/robot-companion
Image: Image: Elephant Robotics — source.
