A child was frightened of the family's robot vacuum and would turn it off whenever it started moving. To help the two get along, the maker fitted the vacuum with a motorized tail, inspired by the child's love of cats.

A servo pulls fishing line to bend the tail, with randomized speed and angles to make it feel more lifelike. The tail alone did not hold the child's attention for long, so the maker also added a fluffy cover. The child began petting the vacuum and offering it stuffed animals.