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Was this fluffy robot the cutest thing at CES 2025?

Answer: It sure seems so.

Closeup of a blue robot.
One of the easiest ways to make robots less creepy or allay fears that they might be plotting a revolution is to make them cute. Like, really stinking cute. Like one fluffy bot that was on display at CES this year. Attendees of the annual tech trade show event in Las Vegas reported that the fluffy little Mirumi easily stole their hearts.

A product of Japanese startup Yukai Engineering, Mirumi’s purpose is simply to give people a few moments of happiness by just being adorable. Engadget reporter Cheyenne MacDonald described its appearance as a “combination of a fledgling bird and a shrunken-down yeti” with long arms that can clamp onto things like your wrist or a purse handle.

The bot contains a distance sensor and inertial measurement unit, so it can detect when someone enters its line of sight or picks it up. When you first make eye contact with it, it shyly hides its face for a moment before peeking out again. MacDonald reported that despite her best efforts to remain impartial, Mirumi won her over almost immediately. Yukai’s Hiroko Sato told her the robot “is all about making people around you happier,” which it appears to achieve quite successfully.