Meet the Floating Robot Companion Designed for Safe, Friendly Human Interaction – CNET
X
Tech Robotics researchers are trying to prove that lighter-than-air robots could excel at emotional connection. Floating robots can glide through the air without the loud whirr of propeller-powered drones. Inspired by animated flying friends like Tinker Bell, Mew and Studio Ghibli's Soot Sprites, a team of researchers set out to show what a floating robotic companion might be good for and how humans could interact with it. Led by Mingyang Xu from Keio University in Japan, with participation from other institutions like the MIT Media Lab, the team recently released a demo video. The video shows a lighter-than-air robot with fins gliding through the air, making it look like a white, floating whale. It hovers without the loud whirr that accompanies most drones. Thanks to its light construction, soft body and lack of pinch points, it can interact with humans with little risk of injury.
Published: July 12, 2026 12:01 pm
Source: CNET — Read original