Yukai Engineering, a Tokyo-based technology company, showcased its latest invention, Nekojita FuFu, at CES 2025, a unique mug-sized device that cools hot drinks or food using air blowing. This launch follows Yukai’s traditional strategy of launching quirky, robotic solutions to enhance daily life.
Nekojita FuFu uses the ‘Fuing System,’ an algorithm of blowing as a human being would but with different strengths of blows and time intervals. This system seeks to emulate the action of a person blowing on food, which has been heated to reduce its temperature. The development of the device was due to a team leader in Yukai Engineering during the hold of Make-a-Thon in 2024, who pointed out the necessity of having such a device to feed a child.
As a product, Nekojita FuFu provides more than simple convenience and brings different modes for temperature regulation. The Basic Main mode can deliver consistently medium force impacts at shorter time cycles, making it preferable for slower cooling of foods and beverages. For enhanced cooling, the ‘I’ve Got This!’ mode is highly powerful from the first cycle and sustains the power necessary to manage higher-temperature items or quantities.
Other modes are ‘Look at That!’, which increases in strength stimulated by the sight of food, and ‘The Princess,’ offering elegant, slow, and steady increases in blowing strength. Each mode mimics human interaction, including 'Sing My Praise' mode, where the gadget hits strong and short blows, or the 'Ready Yet?' mode, where the gadget hits and stops occasionally to check whether the food is cool enough.
The gadget Nekojita FuFu is planned to be released in mid-2025 in Japan for about $25, making it affordable for most families. This specific gadget is one of the many unique animal robots developed by Yukai Engineering, some of which debuted at CES 2025, like the fuzzy purse goblin Murami. Nekojita FuFu and its siblings demonstrate that Yukai is all about cute aesthetics and practical usability, making regular kitchen experiences more entertaining.