This article explains how Cozmo's Needs, specifically his level of Tune Up or Energy do not reflect the condition of his actual hardware or his current battery levels.
Note: Cozmo does not have Needs when Education Mode is activated.
When you connect to Cozmo and he's playing on his own or you are actively playing with him, Cozmo's Feed and Tune Up levels will naturally decrease. If you do not keep Cozmo Tuned Up and well Fed, there are consequences to how you can interact with him in the game, but these consequences really go no further.
Cozmo's Tune Up Level
If Cozmo's level of Tune Up gets too low, as illustrated in this image, you cannot Feed or Play with him.
If you allow Cozmo to get to this point, Feed and Play will be disabled in the app and he will literally be unable to perform any tasks through Sparks or on his own.
Cozmo's Feed Level
Cozmo's Feed level gets too low, you can no longer Play with him as illustrated in this image.
If you allow Cozmo to get to this level of hunger, Play will be disabled in the app and he will literally be unable to perform any tasks through Sparks or on his own.
Needs do not reflect Actual Issues with Cozmo
While Cozmo's Needs are now front and center in the Cozmo app as indicated by his Needs Meter, and ignoring Cozmo's Needs has consequences when you want to Play with Cozmo, these Needs do not actually reflect the state of Cozmo's hardware or his battery level.
So, if Cozmo needs to be Fed and he is unable to Play, that does not mean that his actual battery is low. If you try to Feed Cozmo by charging his battery, the next time you connect to Cozmo his Feed need will still be unmet.
In the same way, just because Cozmo is out of Tune does not mean he has an actual issue with his hardware. Tuning Up or not Tuning Up Cozmo in the game has no effect on Cozmo as an electronic and mechanical device.
When Cozmo's battery is actually low you will see the dialog below:
If you drop Cozmo, while connected to Cozmo via his app, he will need a Tune Up. However, if you drop Cozmo, you may actually break him - something which cannot be fixed with a Tune Up. Remember, always take care of Cozmo and avoid drops.
Are there activities that don't involve nurturing Cozmo?
Yes, to actually use Cozmo without his Needs impacting your interactions with him, you can use any of the activities located in Discover, which can be reached by clicking the Discover button.