When the streets of Los Angeles flooded with rain last week, some of the city’s residents found themselves feeling sorry for a peculiar object: a food delivery robot floundering in water and debris.

Furry like real ones, endearing and incredibly comforting, robot pets are slowly but surely finding their way into homes. These little creatures, with batteries instead of hearts and AI hidden beneath ...

They are like pets, but without all of that pesky love.

Robots in animal form have evolved from providing companionship to taking on roles in security, wildlife conservation and more.