A robot puppet has been invented that seems to react emotionally to the way it is treated. The Heart Robot has a beating heart, breathing belly and other sensors that respond to movement, noise and touch. If he’s cuddled his breathing slows and he seems to relax, but if you shout at him, he gets upset, clenching his hands and sending his heart rate soaring. His designer, David McGoran, says Heart is an example of how robots are taking on increasingly human characteristics.

He also thinks Heart, whose eyes flutter in response to touch, could be among the first robots in a new age of “emotional machines” used for medical treatments and enjoyment.