Yes, you read that right. Yukai Engineering created this robotic plush, named Amagami Ham Ham, to bite our finger and try to relax us and control our stress. Serve or not, it’s cute and cuddly, so give me 10.
CES 2022 brings all kinds of devices for all kinds of people. Luckily they did not forget the lovers of cute and stuffed animals. Yukai Engineering presented Amagami Ham Ham, a kitten-shaped robot that nibbles on the user’s finger. What is the idea? Give a “somewhat pleasant feeling” that will brighten your day.
Like all products of Yukai Engineering, this plush puts the focus on the welfare of the user and, in this case, offers you a cute robotic pet that bites your finger. The company identifies the gentle bite as a tool for channeling negative emotions in order to achieve well-being.
If you’ve ever found yourself biting your finger, without realizing it, it might be from stress. Believe it or not, it’s something a lot of people do, as it seems to help you relax a bit. The good thing is that now there is the possibility that Amagami Ham Ham do it for you. As strange as it sounds, the company claims that it consulted with mental health professionals and they ensure that this works.
Amagami in Japanese it means “bite gently” and, according to the company’s marketing director, Tsubasa Tominaga, it is not enough to do it in one way only, but the algorithm of the stuffed animal (called Hamgorithm) offers up to 24 different bite modes. They didn’t specify how each one will differ, but it sure will be soft and relaxing.
With a relaxed facial gesture, which was studied and designed to transmit calm to the user, Yukai Engineering based his appearance on the stuffed animal series Nemu nemu from Liv Heart Corporation. There will be two models to choose from: Yuzu (Calico Cat) and Kotaro (Shiba Inu).
“I think many people would like to enjoy the feeling of these baby pets play bites over and over again. Amagami Ham Ham it will be a presence that satisfies such needs through various biting games. Gestures such as biting are expected to not only bring comfort, but also reduce stress and provide healing“, He said Masahiro shiomi, Director of the International Institute for Advanced Telecommunications Research.
In Geek Culture we asked absolutely all the newsroom and nobody said “enjoy small bites on the fingers by babies or pets” … 🤷♀️🤷. Just in case, we recommend that you do not go through life putting your finger in the mouth of other people’s dogs, cats or babies.
Play-biting or playing biting is a gesture that occurs not only among babies but also among some animals. According to Yukai Enieneering, it has the psychological effect of bringing comfort to the biter and the owner of the finger, in this case. However, this behavior is rare or frowned upon in adults and dangerous for large pets. For this, Yukai Engineering brought the solution.
“Most people like the sensation of nibbling, but they know to teach their children or pets not to. […] Amagami Ham Ham is a robot that frees humanity from the dilemma of whether or not to fall into that forbidden pleasure‘”, He said Tsubasa Tominaga.
Without information of when it will arrive or what it will be worth, Yukai Engineering and Liv Heart they plan to run a crowdfunding campaign later in the year. Meanwhile, we can wait and continue seeing the faces of the Amagami Ham Ham until he can bite our finger in the most tender way possible and release our stress.