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A flying robot companion? This soft robot could change how we live with machines
Researchers have developed a whale-like floating robot that moves quietly through indoor spaces and could become a future companion
- PUBLISHED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 3:38 PM
A soft, whale-like robot gliding silently through the air is grabbing attention online.
Called Cuddle-Fish, the floating robot was developed by researcher Mingyang Xu from Keio University in Japan, with collaborators from several institutions.
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Instead of spinning propellers like a drone, Cuddle-Fish uses a lighter-than-air body and soft flapping fins to move through indoor spaces. The result looks less like a flying machine and more like a floating animated companion, somewhere between a tiny whale, a Studio Ghibli creature and a friendly balloon with purpose.
The robot is part of broader research into “soft floating robots” — machines designed to safely share space with humans. Traditional drones can be loud and risky at close range because of their fast-moving blades. Cuddle-Fish takes the opposite approach; its soft body and slow movement make it better suited for close-proximity interaction.
In demonstration videos, the robot floats beside people, responds through gentle body movement and is shown in scenarios such as a study companion, dance partner, reminder tool, alarm clock and playful household presence.
The research team says the idea was inspired by fictional flying companions, including characters such as Tinker Bell, Mew and Studio Ghibli’s Soot Sprites. The project also asks how robots might inhabit the unused space above our floors, tables and desks without feeling intrusive.
For now, Cuddle-Fish is not a product and there is no launch date or price. It remains a research prototype focused on human-robot interaction.
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