All the cute robots that took over CES 2025
From tiny cats that cool down tea to a blinking AI companion intended to integrate with your family, here are seven cute robots that have dominated news feeds since last week's Consumer Electronics Show – and what they tell us about "cuteness" in design. Cuteness and what it does to our brains has been a The post All the cute robots that took over CES 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.
From tiny cats that cool down tea to a blinking AI companion intended to integrate with your family, here are seven cute robots that have dominated news feeds since last week's Consumer Electronics Show – and what they tell us about "cuteness" in design.
Cuteness and what it does to our brains has been a subject of scientific enquiry for a while now. The sight of a baby or puppy has been shown to activate areas in the brain associated with emotion and pleasure and to trigger empathy and compassion.
This has led to the idea that cuteness within product design could be used as a tool to change consumer behaviour, with designers exploring the complex nature of cuteness through works such as a toaster that sneezes bread crumbs and a vacuum cleaner that poos when it's full.
And judging from last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, 2025 is the year this idea truly landed. Is the point to simply bring a little joy into our lives? Or to encourage us to embrace technologies we might otherwise be critical of?
Read on for seven gadgets from CES that caught our attention for their interesting use of cuteness.
Mirumi by Yukai Engineering
Designed to do nothing other than be cute, Mirumi charmed the crowds at CES with its harmlessness. The fluffy robot clips onto a bag or strap and looks out at the world through wide, round eyes like a human baby full of wonder and curiosity.
It also expresses shyness, turning its head away and hiding if someone gets too close too suddenly.
The abstracted, minimal design demonstrates the flip side of the phenomenon known as "uncanny valley". While artificial creations that look too realistic tend to discomfort people, we can find an uncomplicated smiley face or cartoon character deeply relatable.
Nékojita FuFu by Yukai Engineering
Solidifying its dominance in the world of cute-but-frivolous robotics, Japanese company Yukai Engineering also showcased Nékojita FuFu – a tiny minimalistic cat that does nothing more than blow air to cool down hot food and drinks.
Named after the sound humans make when they blow out, the robot uses a special "Fu-ing" algorithm that anthropomorphically randomises the strength and rhythm of its blowing via an internal fan.
It might seem strange that this novelty device received so much attention at CES, the same hyper-competitive tech fair where Nvidia dropped an AI supercomputer scarcely bigger than a deck of cards.
However, it's possible that the overwhelming pace of advancement and anxiety over the anticipated arrival of an artificial general intelligence, is precisely what makes simple Nékojita FuFu so appealing.
Ai Me by TCL
Simple was not the watchword among all the companies harnessing cuteness, however. Sometimes, the cartoonish product design is meant to help consumers feel an emotional connection to what could otherwise be a hard, shiny and even off-putting tech product.
This seems to be true for the Ai Me companion robot from US company TCL. Like Yukai Engineering's Mirumi, the design takes cues from human babies – although in this case, the device is packed with sensors, cameras and AI tech.
As well as being an interactive toy for the younger members of the family, the device is designed to help out adults by syncing with smart home devices, independently roaming the home to monitor security and capture videos of day-to-day life.
The robot's cute, round form is enhanced by its digital blinking eyes, arms that flap with excitement and even changeable textile outfits – like an anthropomorphic progression of the cosy technology trend. While Ai Me is a concept at this stage, TCL showed a working prototype at CES.
Loona by KEYi Tech
Like Ai Me, Loona brings AI tech and surveillance into the home by appealing to the youngest members of the family. It can also be customised with outfits – this time crocheted.
But while Ai Me is primarily inspired by babies, Loona is modelled on pets and derives its cuteness from animal-like behaviours such as waggling its ears, chasing balls or laser pointers for play, and stretching and sneezing when it wakes up.
Loona is already available to buy and Chinese manufacturer KEYi Tech suggests it makes a good companion robot not just for kids and adults but for the real family pet, which may otherwise be at home alone for many hours of the day.
While not as exaggeratedly cute as the other robots on this list, Samsung's AI robot assistant Ballie has been labelled with this term since it made its debut as a concept back at CES 2020.
It is a classic example of how cuteness is about more than looks; in this case, it is largely a factor of Ballie's bijou size and the zippy way it moves around, which have long earned it comparisons to the Star Wars mini ball droid BB-8.
Updated for CES 2025 and expected to finally launch as a product this year, Ballie is intended to be a comprehensive personal home assistant that can manage smart appliances, send video updates of pets or loved ones at home, project videos, play music and answer calls.
Created in collaboration with Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the puppet workshop founded by the creator of The Muppets, Jennie is a departure from the other cute robots on this list in its realism.
While to some, the uncanny valley effect may be inescapable here, for US manufacturer Tombot the verisimilitude is important because it helps Jennie connect with people who have dementia or cognitive impairment to provide some much-needed companionship.
Jennie is a robotic pet and a robotic pet only – no surveillance or chatbot conversations. It responds to pats and voice commands, produces AI-generated barks and serves as a cuddly emotional support.
Reolink Duo 3 WiFi by Reolink
Tech company Reolink doesn't mention cuteness as a design decision in the press release for its Duo 3 WiFi surveillance camera. But its dual lenses clearly resemble a pair of big, googly eyes with antennas for ears.
If this is a surveillance camera with an intentionally friendly face, then cuteness has well and truly arrived as a dominant – and unsettling – aesthetic in tech.
CES 2025 took place in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 January 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
The post All the cute robots that took over CES 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.
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