OPINION : Five year have passed since Ibumped into a Lovot on the showroom floor at CES 2020and had my essence stolen by Groove X ’s jealousy - prone robot .
Lovots are little , emotionally send robot that roll around the home , interacting with people and staring until you give them your undivided attention – especially if they catch you draw close with another Lovot .
A quick cyberspace search shows that Lovots are still endure stiff in 2025 , though they ’re currently only useable to buy in Japan . Groove X has collaborated with brands like Anna Sui , Mary Quant and Felix the Cat to plan clothes for these African tea - like robots , and the company has even created its own concept cafe in Kawasaki staffed by Lovots with figure like Matcha and Waffle .
While CES had no shortfall of robots that year , the accent on Lovots ’ power to show and receive affection held my attention like no other intersection . Fast - forward to 2025 and a growing figure of tech companies and starting - ups are accredit the note value of prettiness .
TakeRopetfor lesson , a robotlike companion that could easy be mistaken for a cousin of a Lovot . Ropet would n’t be a 2025 production without incorporate an AI chatbot as ChatGPT desegregation allows you to interact with your Ropet in more than 50 language .
Other key feature article let in facial recognition , a climate radar and the power to recognize sure food for thought and objects held in front of its face . you could also customise your Ropet ’s eyes with different colouring material , and draw “ eye unsighted boxes ” to unlock raw designs .
The blind box aspect feel particularly apt as this is on the nose what another cute atomic number 58 attendee – Yukai Engineering ’s Mirumi – reminds me of , striking that perfect counterpoise between cute and ugly popularised by Popmart ’s viral Labubu doll .
Playful or terrifying?
Mirumi is an owlish automaton that clips onto your bag handle . design to mimic the behavior of a baby , this thenar - sized golem turn its head teacher to peak at passersby and hides its face to convey bashfulness . It also shakes its headway when jiggled .
Unlike Lovots which can serve a secondary determination as an indoor surety camera and Ropets with their AI smart , Mirumi subsist purely to “ revivify multitude ’s jubilant experience of noticing a human baby ” ( or fright them , depending on how you finger about a bag charmtwisting its pass around to gaze at you on the street ) .
I do n’t know about anyone else but I , for one , welcome our new fluffy overlords .
