I met a lot of weird robots at CES — here are the most memorable

The Robot Renaissance: A Tour of the Most Memorable Bots at CES

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has long been a platform for innovation, and this year's event was no exception. Amidst the sea of gadgets and gizmos, one trend stood out: robots. From humanoid bots to convenience store clerks, the robots on display at CES were a testament to the rapid progress being made in the field of robotics. In this article, we'll take a tour of the most memorable bots we encountered at CES, and explore what they mean for the future of robotics.

The Ping Pong Player

One of the most entertaining bots we saw at CES was a ping pong-playing robot from the Chinese robotics firm Sharpa. The bot was rigged up to play a game of table tennis against one of the firm's staff, and while it was losing 5-9, the spectacle was still impressive. The bot's ability to pick up a paddle and hit the ball with precision was a testament to the advancements being made in robotic manipulation.

But what's even more interesting is that the Sharpa rep told us that the bot's main product is its robotic hand, and that the full-bodied bot was debuted at CES to demonstrate the hand's dexterity. This highlights the trend of robotic arms and hands being used in a variety of applications, from manufacturing to healthcare.

The Boxer

Another bot that drew a large crowd was the T800 from EngineAI, a Chinese company developing humanoid robots. The T800 was styled as a fighting machine, and was even set up in a mock boxing ring. While we never saw the bots actually hit each other, they did engage in some impressive shadowboxing, and even managed to trip over their own feet and face-plant on the floor.

The T800's ability to mimic human-like behavior is a testament to the advancements being made in robotics, and highlights the potential for humanoid robots to be used in a variety of applications, from healthcare to search and rescue.

The Dancer

Dancing robots have long been a staple at CES, and this year was no different. The dance-move torch was carried by bots from Unitree, a major Chinese robotics manufacturer. Unitree's bots were able to perform a variety of dance moves, including the robot equivalent of a moonwalk.

But what's even more interesting is that Unitree has made a number of impressive announcements about its product base, including a humanoid bot that can supposedly run at speeds of up to 11 mph. This highlights the trend of robots being used in a variety of applications, from entertainment to transportation.

The Convenience Store Clerk

We also stopped by the booth for Galbot, a Chinese company that says it is focused on multi-modal large language models and general purpose robotics. Galbot's booth had been styled to look like a convenience store, and its bot appeared to have been synched with a menu app. A customer would come to the booth, select an item from the menu, and then the bot would go and fetch the selected merch for them.

This highlights the trend of robots being used in a variety of applications, from retail to customer service. The ability of the bot to understand and respond to customer requests is a testament to the advancements being made in natural language processing.

The Housekeeper

Creating a machine that can fold laundry has long been one of the core ambitions of the commercial robotics community. The ability to pick up a T-shirt and fold it is considered a fundamental test of automated competence. For that reason, we were fairly impressed by the display over at Dyna Robotics, a firm that develops advanced manipulation models for automated tasks.

Dyna's robotic arms were able to efficiently fold laundry and place it in a pile, and a representative told us that the firm had already established partnerships with a number of hotels, gyms, and factories. This highlights the trend of robots being used in a variety of applications, from hospitality to manufacturing.

The Butler

We also stopped by LG's section of CES to take a look at its new home robot, CLOid. It was cute but was not the fastest bot on the block. You can read our full review of that experience here.

What it Means

The robots we saw at CES were a testament to the rapid progress being made in the field of robotics. From humanoid bots to convenience store clerks, the applications for robots are vast and varied. The ability of robots to mimic human-like behavior, understand and respond to customer requests, and perform a variety of tasks is a testament to the advancements being made in robotics.

But what's even more interesting is that these advancements are not just limited to the robots themselves, but also to the industries and applications that they are being used in. The trend of robots being used in a variety of applications, from retail to customer service, highlights the potential for robots to be used in a variety of industries and settings.

Forward-Looking Thoughts

As we look to the future, it's clear that robots will continue to play a major role in shaping the world around us. From humanoid bots to convenience store clerks, the applications for robots are vast and varied. The ability of robots to mimic human-like behavior, understand and respond to customer requests, and perform a variety of tasks is a testament to the advancements being made in robotics.

As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with robots, it's clear that the future is bright and full of possibilities. From the robots we saw at CES to the advancements being made in the field of robotics, it's clear that the potential for robots to shape the world around us is vast and varied.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/09/i-met-a-lot-of-weird-robots-at-ces-here-are-the-most-memorable/