Kuri (Mayfield Robotics / Bosch) [CANCELLED BEFORE SHIPMENT — VERIFIED]
Published · Researched 2026-09-20
Status: Killed pre-launch. Production was stopped on July 25, 2018; manufactured units were never shipped to customers and deposits were refunded. Parent Mayfield Robotics announced it would cease operations by October 31, 2018. This is a cancelled product, not a shipped shutdown — label precisely. Research current as of September 20, 2026.
Overview
Kuri was Bosch startup Mayfield Robotics' $699 home robot: a mobile, expressive companion with an animated 3D face, designed to roam the home, recognize household members, and interact with playful personality. It was one of the most anticipated companion robots of 2017–2018, with pre-orders open — and then, in summer 2018, the plug was pulled before a single customer unit shipped. The official explanation: no business fit within Bosch and failure to secure external financing or a long-term development partner.
Social standing
The cancellation was covered by The Robot Report and Engadget (August 2018); IEEE Spectrum had covered the launch announcement. Because no units ever reached customers, there is no owner community — the social footprint is press coverage of the promise and the cancellation. Kuri endures as the "what if" of companion robotics: the robot that died in the factory.
Specs (as announced)
| Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Mobile home robot (~20 inches tall) with dome head and animated 3D face |
| 3D tech | Expressive animated face with eye/head gestures |
| Voice | Voice interaction planned (never delivered to customers) |
| Sensors | Mapping sensors for home navigation, HD camera |
| Ship status | Never shipped — production stopped July 25, 2018 |
Pricing (as reported, dated)
- $699 — planned preorder price (reported in 2018 launch/cancellation coverage).
- Deposits were refunded at cancellation; no retail sales ever occurred.
Shutdown evidence
- July 25, 2018: production stopped; The Robot Report reported manufactured units would not ship and deposits would be refunded.
- August 2018: Engadget reported Mayfield Robotics would shut down, with operations ceasing by October 31, 2018.
- Stated cause: no Bosch business fit + failure to secure external financing or a long-term development partner.
- Precision note: Kuri never shipped, so this is a cancellation, distinct from Jibo/Anki-style post-shipment shutdowns.
Community verdict
Kuri is the counterfactual the whole category argues about: a well-designed, well-funded (Bosch-backed) companion robot that still couldn't survive the corporate portfolio review. Its lesson is aimed at founders, not owners — even a giant's backing doesn't guarantee a companion robot reaches homes. For buyers, it's a reminder that pre-orders are unsecured loans.
Primary images
kuri-01.jpg— Kuri home robot press render (IEEE Spectrum). Primary pick.kuri-02.jpg— Kuri product render (Azure Magazine's emotive-objects feature). Visually confirmed content-accurate — correct product.
Both verified JPEG (file-type check), content-accurate, no substitutions. (A VentureBeat-hosted image hit a 429 rate limit — treated as a hard stop for that host — and was replaced with the verified Azure Magazine image, documented here.)
Evidence status
- Production stop July 25, 2018, no shipments, deposit refunds — The Robot Report, verified.
- Mayfield shutdown by October 31, 2018; Bosch-fit/financing cause — Engadget, August 2018, verified.
- $699 preorder price — 2018 launch coverage, verified.
- UNVERIFIED in this pass: what happened to the manufactured units, any subsequent IP sale.