Some Robots at CES Are Truly Spectacular… In a Very Gradual Form of Manner

We’ve been ready on Rosey the robotic for over 60 years now—some model of a robotic servant to take over the menial family chores that no one enjoys. And judging by the footage that’s emerged from CES in Las Vegas this 12 months, we’re nonetheless going to be ready some time longer. However that doesn’t imply there’s purpose to despair. The robots on show could also be gradual however they appeared reasonably spectacular in some enjoyable methods.

The robotic that’s maybe gotten essentially the most consideration for its gradual actions at CES is CLOiD from LG Electronics. The robotic appeared on stage with LG government Brandt Varner, who handed CLOiD a towel that it then positioned right into a washer.

As you may see it was gradual. Painfully gradual, as so many information shops have now put it.

The robotic doesn’t have legs and strikes by way of a wheeled base that’s truly nearer to Rosey from the Jetsons than different bipedal concepts for humanoid robots. And it demonstrated different abilities at CES offstage, together with grabbing a carton of milk out of the fridge and grabbing some keys off a sofa with the intention to hand them to a human. The robotic additionally folded some laundry, which was additionally fairly rattling gradual.

Why on Earth would I be impressed in any respect with this? The half that makes me optimistic about how that is all progressing is the truth that LG says that is all being carried out autonomously.

As the corporate explains:

On the core of LG CLOiD is the corporate’s Bodily AI expertise, which mixes:

• Imaginative and prescient Language Mannequin (VLM) – converts pictures and video into structured, language-based understanding
• Imaginative and prescient Language Motion (VLA) – interprets visible and verbal inputs into bodily actions

These fashions have been skilled on tens of 1000’s of hours of family activity information, enabling LG CLOiD to acknowledge home equipment, interpret consumer intent and execute context-appropriate actions akin to opening doorways or transferring objects.

That places it forward of the vaporware robotic demonstrations from years passed by the place the whole lot was operated remotely by an unseen human. Again within the Fifties, there was RCA-Whirlpool’s robotic vacuum, placed on show for the Soviets below the false pretense that it was working independently. And Elon Musk’s Optimus robotic has been up to date to make use of that same trick right here within the 2020s, with teleoperation for issues like serving popcorn, pouring beer, or folding laundry. A a lot ridiculed video from the Wall Street Journal in October confirmed the Neo robotic from 1X Applied sciences can also be remotely managed. Is that the long run?

Sure, it does seem that CLOiD has some methods to go earlier than it may be offered to customers, as LG says they don’t have any speedy plans to make the robotic commercially out there. And there’s no assure it ever can be sitting on retailer cabinets for anybody to purchase. However it was a enjoyable demonstration that wasn’t trying to deceive anybody. That seems like a win in a crowded robotics area with some notable carnival barkers who’re promoting family robots with out being clear about their ranges of autonomy.

There’s additionally Sharpa’s robotic North, which may play ping pong. Sharpa describes the robotic as having “Human-like upper-body vary of movement, from neck to waist and from shoulder to wrist.” And it seems to be fairly cool in motion, as you may see within the video beneath.

Totally autonomous ping-pong recreation and windmill meeting preview—reside at CES!
Can’t wait to indicate North, our full-body robotic, to the world!
Cease by Sales space #9251 North Corridor to see it in motion.#Sharpa #SharpaNorth #SharpaWave #AI #robot #pingpong @CES pic.twitter.com/6OfP7fDmqq

— Sharpa (@SharpaRobotics) January 6, 2026

North delivers a 0.02-second response time, in accordance with the corporate, and is fully autonomous. That autonomy is, once more, what makes this so thrilling, even when North isn’t going to beat Marty Supreme anytime quickly.

The second a part of the video exhibits North manipulating objects with some dexterity, although you’ll word it’s sped up 4x. However the truth that it’s additionally working autonomously ought to give these individuals fantasizing about having their very own private Rosey companion some hope for the long run. It’s a cool factor to observe, even when you realize it’s been sped up.

Not all the robots had a humanoid kind like CLOiD and North. You’ve bought iGarden’s new M1 robotic pool cleaners and L Sequence and L AWD Sequence robotic lawnmowers, variations of robots we’ve seen earlier than that deal with duties across the dwelling while not having to appear to be Rosey.

Roborock’s Saros Rover is in that bucket of non-humanoid robots as a low-profile vacuum, however this isn’t your father’s Roomba. It may possibly climb stairs with legs which might be, dare I say, cute? The Saros Rover doesn’t have a launch date but, however it’s additionally a type of robots that’s simply reasonably enjoyable to observe in a roundabout way.

Roborock’s Saros Rover is a robotic vacuum with legs that may climb stairs and clear them #CES2026 pic.twitter.com/1dCHSAeyJZ

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) January 7, 2026

None of those robots appear to be they’re going to knock your socks off. However perhaps I’m bizarre for being pleasantly shocked by the common-or-garden demonstrations after watching guys like Elon Musk pull off demos in 2025 that had been extra like magic tips than peeks on the future.

When it comes proper all the way down to it, I’ve much more respect for a completely autonomous robotic demonstration that strikes a bit slowly over Optimus getting teleoperated by some unseen power behind a curtain. As a result of Optimus has carried out its personal laundry-folding demonstration, in case you recall.

And, sure, that’s a human hand poking out of the nook because the robotic is being teleoperated. Tesla has but to indicate a video of Optimus folding laundry autonomously.

Gizmodo is on the bottom in Las Vegas all week bringing you the whole lot you might want to know concerning the tech unveiled at CES 2026. You’ll be able to observe our CES live blog here and find all our coverage here.