The companion robot sector has also been changing and growing fast in the last 10 years. Most of the companion robotic animals are mostly animatronic with very little computerization. They move eyeballs and paws and make animal sounds.
Nursing homes have been using them with great results for patients with dimentia and with all residents. It can be difficult to bring live cats and dogs into many care homes so these robotic ones are a great second choice.
Now there are other types of companion and service robots being used in care homes, hospitals and in private homes. At this point most of them are intentionally designed to look like robots with plastic heads and bodies and flashing lights.
The term “uncanny valley” has been used for many years in the robotics industry and basically suggests that if you make a robot look “too human” then it will look too creepy. So many robot designers on purpose will hold back on the reality.
Other robot designers like Hanson Robotics seem to believe more in the ultra realism movement as their robots are splitting images of real humans and that could be said to make them super stars in the business at this time.