In 2014, The Verge’s Josh Dzieza investigated what he called “the rise of the adorable machines.” First, he spoke to the creators of Hitchbot, a hitchhiking robot with a cute emoji face.

Ewan McGregor's animated feature which stars an all-star cast has become a surprise hit on Hulu, 20 years after its release.

Everything just looks huggable — from the film's robot protagonist to its cute ensemble of critters. + By Katie Reul Posted March 6, 2024, 2:48 a.m.

And VivaTech played host to plenty of other robots designed with cuteness in mind — ones with cartoon animal personas, others that looked like children’s toys from the 1980s.

Kids can now get into robotics as early as pre-kindergarten (PK) with Sphero indi, a cute learning robot that looks like it was inspired by the “Cars” animation.