This furry clip-on robot is the strangest thing I've seen at this or any CES

(Image credit: Yukai Engineering)

Mirumi is the latest strange robot from Yukai Engineering
It hangs on your bag
It can "react"

Gadgets that elicit comments like "Why?" and "Is that thing staring at me?" are either the best thing about CES 2025 or the worst. Mirumi, a furry robot that wraps around a bag or backpack strap and watches friends, family, and strangers, is that kind of gadget.

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Of course, I would expect no less from Yukai Engineering, a company that's been responsible for the furry therapeutic pillow with a tail Qoobo and the finger-tip chewing Amagami Ham Ham. In this case, the company describes Mirumi as "a mascot robot that spontaneously turns its head to steal a glance at a nearby person." Yes, that sounds wonderful.

If it's any consolation, the robot with its puffy gray (also in pink) body, round furry head, and googly eyes looks adorable. In fact, it would look like a tiny gray chick if it weren't for the oddly long arms that you use to wrap around your handbag and backpack straps.

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Even though Mirumi looks like a stuffed animal, it's filled with technology. It has sensors to notice people and objects and the motorized head can turn to "look at them". The sensors also detect movement. All of it works in concert to create a series of emotive responses, and quite a bit of it is designed to make Mirumi respond like a baby or toddler in your arms might to friends, strangers, and unknown objects.

Mirumi can express curiosity – basically, the look-around action triggered by movement. If a person is detected nearby, the head will turn to look at it. It can also mimic bashfulness, hiding its head in your arm.

If you annoy Mirumi by shaking it, the little robot will turn its head back and forth to signal its displeasure.

There were no pricing or availability details at launch but based on the pricing of some of Yukai Engineering's other robots, this one might not cost more than $149.

Whether or not you want such a robot strapped to your bag is another question., It could entertain and enchant people or have them wonder why that dustball on your bag is staring at them.

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.