temi: a personal home robot that became a guide robot for hospitals and shops

temi began as a personal robot that carried a screen and followed people around the home. It later turned into a business robot for hospitals, hotels and shops.

A personal robot that carries a screen and follows you

temi is the robot of a company spun off in 2016 from Robo-Team, an Israeli maker of military robots. A tablet screen sits on top of a 1 m body, and 360° lidar and depth cameras let it move around the home. It followed users for video calls or played music. It launched in the US at $1,499 in 2018 and cost €1,999 in Europe in 2019.

From the home to the hospital

In December 2018 temi raised another $21 million, bringing its total to $82 million. In February 2020 it raised $15 million led by Joy Capital. When COVID-19 spread that year, temi units fitted with thermometers and sanitiser trays were deployed in hospitals and public buildings in Asia. The company then shifted from homes to supplying robots by subscription to healthcare, hotels, retail and education.

A Hong Kong company and Foxconn

According to IDTechEx, temi merged into Hong Kong’s RoboCore Technology in early 2024. In August 2025 Foxconn put $10 million into RoboCore for 6.6%, with an option for two more tranches of the same size. RoboCore CEO Roy Lim said: “This is more than a capital injection — it’s an affirmation of our company’s future prospects.” Estimates of the installed base range from about 15,000 active units at the end of 2024 to the company’s figure of nearly 20,000 client sites.

Same body, different users

temi’s body has changed little since the start. What changed was who used it and why. A robot that carries a screen and follows people found its use less in homes than in facilities where guiding and greeting are repeated all day.

When the same robot moves from homes to facilities, what in its design has to change?

What we haven’t confirmed