The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas introduced a quirky, adorable and furry robot to delight bystanders with its reactions.
Created by Japan’s Yukai Engineering, Mirumi is a clip-on robot designed to mimic the joy of interacting with a human baby.
Equipped with sensors, it uses its googly eyes and head movements to engage nearby people or objects. Its reactions are limited; when approached or touched suddenly, the robot retreats slightly, mimicking shyness.
"Designed to recreate people’s joyful experiences of noticing a human baby as he/she tries to interact with them, Mirumi moves its head in several different ways to express its curiosity, bashfulness, and other baby-like qualities and emotions," said the firm in a statement.
At CES 2025, Yukai will also introduce "Nékojita FuFu," a portable robot that cools hot drinks and food. Designed for those with heat-sensitive tongues, it uses an internal fan to blow cool air, mimicking human breath through a special "Fu-ing System" that randomizes the blowing strength and rhythm to reduce temperature effectively.
The Mirumi concept originated during the company’s 2024 internal Make-a-Thon, where engineers and designers envisioned a robotic "yokai" (supernatural creature) with baby-like qualities.
Mirumi uses advanced sensors to detect and engage with nearby people and objects. Its internal distance sensor scans the environment, while an inertial measurement unit (IMU) identifies movements, such as taps on the robot or the motion of the attached bag.
Mirumi’s behavior is modeled to simulate human-like emotions. It exhibits curiosity by scanning its surroundings when the bag moves, inquisitiveness by turning its head toward detected objects, and bashfulness by hiding its face when surprised.
According to Yukai, it also expresses rejection by shaking its head when jiggled and comfort by calmly looking around when undisturbed.
The robot’s design includes googly eyes that evoke tenderness, long arms for secure bag attachment, and a balanced head-and-body structure to support its internal mechanisms.
The firm claims Mirumi combines technology and charm to deliver a unique, playful interaction experience.
"People often find great joy in sharing their own happiness with others. Mirumi is a robot that enables you to do just that. Whether you’re riding a crowded train or standing in line at the cashier, your Mirumi will always find a way to reach into people’s hearts with its innocent gaze, prompting the person to wave at the robot or make a funny face in response," said Shunsuke Aoki, CEO of Yukai Engineering, in a statement.
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