Meet Nékojita FuFu: The cat-shaped robot that cools your food

Photo: Yukai Engineering

Cat got your tongue takes on a different meaning with this Yukai Engineering robot. The Japanese robotics startup created the Nékojita FuFu, a cat-shaped robot that can blow air to cool your hot food and drinks. The robot gets its name from the Japanese term "néko-jita," meaning "cat tongue," a phrase used to describe individuals with a low tolerance for hot food. The second part of the name, "FuFu," is an onomatopoeia that captures the sound of blowing air to cool food.

The robot has different blowing modes, including a full-force and a gentler one. It uses an internal fan unit running on a rechargeable battery. It also has a specially developed algorithm or the Fu-ing System that randomizes the strength and rhythm to mimic human breath. The Nékojita FuFu can cool hot water from 88 degrees Celsius to 71 degrees Celsius in three minutes or to 66 degrees Celsius in five minutes. This tiny little robot isn't just meant to cool your coffee. It works with any dishware with a straight edge.

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Taste the salt, without the salt: New electric spoon tricks your tongue

Photo: Kirin

If you need to cut down on your salt intake but miss the taste of salty food, Japanese food and beverage company Kirin Holdings created the Electric Salt Spoon. The battery-powered utensil went on sale in Japan in May 2024, but it plans to bring it to the North American market sometime in 2025. The company showcased it at CES 2025.

The Electric Salt Spoon uses a weak electric current to enhance the perceived saltiness of food. The spoon works by drawing sodium ions from the food to the tongue's taste buds. It operates on a 3-volt CR2 lithium battery and offers four intensity levels.

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Mirumi: The cute robot that does absolutely nothing

While everyone goes crazy for Labubu figures, we'd rather have Mirumi hanging off our bags. Yukai Engineering brought the fuzzy little robot to CES 2025 and charmed us with its presence. The clip-on robot is designed to evoke feelings of joy and connection. But beyond that, it has no practical function.

Instead, Mirumi mimics human baby-like behaviour, such as turning its head to look at people and expressing shyness. Its sensors allow it to "detect" its surroundings and interact with those around it.

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Samsung Display made a stretchable screen

You can always count on Samsung Display to share some out-of-the-box concepts. And the newest out of CES 2025 is a stretchable screen that bulges from the center to create the 3D effect. Imagine Sadako from the Japanese horror movie The Ring coming out of a screen like this.

While the concept is far from commercialization, you can imagine it being useful for things like 3D maps in cars, fun watch faces, or more tactile user interfaces on mobile devices or even car displays. Of course, its durability is going to be a point of concern. This stretchable micro LED is still in its early development, so any potential real-life applications are still years away.

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