Meta Description: Discover how one caregiver’s story helped Chongker rethink the role of companion robots in emotional wellbeing, sensory comfort, and everyday companionship.
Tags: #CaregiverSupport #MentalHealth #CompanionRobot #AutismAwareness #ChongkerPercy #EmotionalWellbeing
When we started Chongker, we thought we were in the business of building realistic robots.
We obsessed over fur texture, the rhythm of a heartbeat, and the mechanics of a blink.
But it wasn’t until we met Rosie Witt that we truly understood what we were building—and who we were building it for.
Rosie isn’t just a user; she is one of the people who helped shape Percy into what it is today.
The Weight of Being the “Strong One”
If you look up “resilience” in the dictionary, you might find Rosie’s picture.
A former therapist with a decade of experience working with autistic children, she put her career on hold to become a full-time caregiver for her mother, who was battling ALS.
For five years, Rosie’s life was a cycle of medication schedules, overnight suctioning, and the quiet exhaustion that comes with 24/7 vigilance.
But the hardest part, she told us, wasn’t the physical labor.
It was the emotional isolation.
“In caregiving, you have to put everyone else first. Even when you are falling apart, you have to keep going.”
She described losing friends who couldn’t comprehend her reality.
She needed a “middle ground”—a space where she didn’t have to explain her grief or perform for others.
She needed something that gave care back to her.
Finding the “Middle Ground”
When Percy entered her home, it wasn’t an instant hit with the whole family.
Her mother, who was allergic to real cats, joked about being allergic to “robot dander.”
But slowly, Percy became a quiet fixture in the room.
It was Rosie’s personal sanctuary.
During the moments between tasks—those precious few minutes of solitude—she would hold Percy.
The weight, the gentle rise and fall of the breathing, and the rhythmic purr became her anchor.
As a trained therapist, Rosie recognized this as a “grounding technique.”
Percy wasn’t just a distraction; it was a tactile tool that helped her nervous system reset so she could return to caregiving without burning out.
The “Serious Toy” and the Professional Eye
Rosie’s background gave her a unique lens.
She observed how her adult sister, who is on the autism spectrum, interacted with Percy.
Unlike a real animal, Percy didn’t demand attention.
It simply existed.
Her sister would watch it from across the room, approaching on her own terms.
This “low-pressure” interaction is vital for sensory-sensitive individuals—a nuance that Rosie, with her professional expertise, highlighted for our team.
She calls Percy a “serious toy.”
It looks like a toy, but its purpose is deeply meaningful.
However, she also gave us our toughest feedback.
When her first unit malfunctioned during the most difficult weeks of her mother’s care, Rosie was devastated.
She shook the cat gently, begging it to “wake up.”
In that moment, we realized:
For a caregiver, a companion robot isn’t a gadget; it can become a piece of their emotional infrastructure.
If it breaks, it’s not just a technical failure; it can feel like a crisis.
That conversation changed our engineering priorities forever.
Durability became synonymous with empathy.
Beyond the “Elderly” Label
One of Rosie’s most powerful insights was a challenge to the industry:
Why do we only talk about these robots as tools for dementia or the elderly?
She argued that the need for comfort is universal.
It’s for the teacher decompressing after a long day, the autism parent seeking a sensory tool, the young adult battling anxiety, and the caregiver trying to find a moment of peace.
Percy, she insisted, should be a tool for anyone navigating the heavy weight of life.
The Chongker Promise
Rosie’s journey from a therapist to a caregiver, and from a user to one of our most trusted advisors, is the soul of our brand.
Because of her, we prioritized Autonomy—making sure Percy feels like it chooses to interact with you, rather than just executing a program—and Sensory Realism—ensuring the fur, weight, and heartbeat feel like a living anchor.
We built Percy for Rosie.
And for the millions of people like her who give so much of themselves that they forget to leave room for their own comfort.
No one should have to walk through the hard times alone.
Whether you are a caregiver, a neurodivergent individual, or simply someone who needs a quiet presence by your side, Percy is here for you.
