A charming novelty – the cute robot Mirumi was shown at CES 2025!
Mirumi is a new charming yet quirky robot from Japanese startup Yukai Engineering. The robot imitates the joyful moment of making eye contact with a baby in a public place, a brief and casual interaction that can improve your mood.
The idea of creation.
Yukai Engineering reports that the idea to create Mirumi belongs to a team of engineers and designers. They proposed to create a robotic “yokai” or supernatural creature with the characteristics of a human baby.
“People often find great joy in sharing their happiness with others. Mirumi is a robot that enables you to do just that,” says Shunsuke Aoki, CEO of Yukai Engineering. “Whether you’re riding a crowded train or standing in a checkout line, your Mirumi will always find a way to reach people’s hearts with its innocent gaze, prompting people to wave at the robot or make a funny face in response.”
Appearance.
Mirumi’s appearance resembles a mix of a chick and a smaller yeti. Its long, flexible arms allow the robot to cling to objects, such as a bag handle, to accompany you wherever you go and at the same time make passersby smile.
He has bulging eyes. They are round and expressive, like a puppy’s eyes, as if they want people to interact with them.
The design team also had to focus on the weight of the head and body of the device to balance the personal gadget and withstand the weight of the mechanical parts.
How it works.
Mirumi has a distance sensor and an inertial measurement device inside that allow the robot to respond to human presence, movement, or touch. When a person enters Mirumi’s field of vision, the robot shyly hides its face and then cautiously peeks out. If you shake it a little, it can shake its head. At the same time, Mirumi does not make any sounds.
Mirumi cannot move on her own or do more than move her head.
Mirumi has a pleasant weight that resembles a small kitten, and its light movements create a purring-like vibration. On thin surfaces, such as the strap of a bag, the robot’s arms tightly grip the object for greater stability.
Using a combination of a distance sensor and an inertial measurement unit to detect motion, Mirumi reacts differently to what it senses. It will start looking around as soon as the bag starts to move, and then focuses its gaze on a person or object detected nearby.
If you shake it, it will even shake its head as if to say “no” to simulate its dislike. After a short period of inactivity, the robot will resume head movements that mimic its innocent look.
The robot is charged via USB and can work for up to eight hours without recharging. White, black, and peach color variants were presented at the exhibition, but the final palette has not yet been determined. Yukai Engineering plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign later in 2025 before putting the robot on sale. It is not yet known whether Mirumi will be available for the international market.