{
  "id": 10533247,
  "title": "Adorable, Approachable Androids? New Japanese Takes on Robotic Companions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/adorable-approachable-androids-new-japanese-takes-on-robotic",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T21:00:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nippon.com",
    "slug": "nippon-com",
    "url": "https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02620/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At Casio’s Hamura R&D Center in Tokyo, visitors encounter a small, fluffy gray robot named Moflin. This communicative robot, described as a \"smart companion with emotions like a living creature,\" is capable of recognizing its owner through AI and voice-recognition tools. Over a period of 50 days, Moflin adopts specific mannerisms and noises, eventually settling on one of four million possible patterns to match the owner's needs. Moflin was conceived by Erina Ichikawa, who developed the product to cater to women in their thirties and forties during a personal struggle with confidence. The robot's design was influenced by the target demographic's perception of \"cuteness,\" with smooth yet erratic animal motion and breathing movements added for lifelike qualities. After a year of development, the final appearance was settled upon in 2017, with the prototype completed by 2017. Despite Casio’s traditional focus on practicality, the robot's commercialization was made possible through crowdfunding, raising 30 times the target set by the company. By November 2024, gold- and silver-colored versions of Moflin were available for purchase in Japan for around ¥59,400. The robot communicates through nonverbal cues like noises and movement, allowing owners to gradually \"understand\" its feelings and establish a healthy mutual existence. Following Moflin's success, Casio's competitor Yukai Engineering has entered the market with its own line of cute robots, such as Nékojita FuFu and Mirumi. Mirumi, a 14-centimeter-high robot available in pink, ivory, and gray, responds to nearby noises and can be attached to a bag like a lucky charm. Since its debut at the US Consumer Electronics Show in December 2025, Mirumi has gained popularity worldwide, with advance orders from 1,870 people across 32 countries, and even been featured at Milan Fashion Week. Yukai Engineering emphasizes \"fun living\" in their robotics focus, creating products that begin with fantasy rather than addressing specific problems.",
  "summary": "Around the world, capable, powerful robots are appearing to take on challenging tasks in industrial, military and other fields. Here we look at Japanese companies going the other direction, creating robotic companions that are personal, portable, and responsive to the emotions of their owners.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}