CES 2026: An irony of humanoids and nostalgia

Introduction

The movement toward robotics and AI (artificial intelligence) that started at CES¹ 2024 dominated CES 2026 this January in Las Vegas. Robots specialized by task are proliferating.

At CES 2026, everyone’s clever algorithm is now touted as AI. The smaller companies focused on targeted, limited data sets that can be stored locally to enhance AI for manufacturing, fault detection, and customer relations. This is a more practical implementation of narrowly focused AI. Such specialized AI contrasts with a large language model stored in the cloud that attempts to answer all questions and sometimes fabricates wrong answers (called hallucinations).

In stark contrast to robotics and AI there was a significant number of exhibits in the nostalgia market. Many included user interfaces and aesthetics from previous generations of products blended with current technology. Examples range from pinball machines to Instamatic cameras with digital “film” to mechanical typewriter keyboards linked to computers.

CES attendance was about 148,000, including 55,000 from outside the US, viewing 4100 exhibits. This compares to 142,000 visitors and 4500 exhibits last year. CES attendance had peaked in 2020 before the pandemic at 180,000.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the host of CES, defines the categories for exhibits listed in the following CES Topics chart. The changes each year are incremental; this year:

• Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Realities (XR) are now XR & Spatial Computing.
• Next Generation Wellness has been added.
• Smart Cities have become Smart Communities.
• Travel & Tourism has been dropped.
• Audio/Video returned.

CTA was created in 1924 as the Radio Manufacturers Association to promote the sale of radios and later audio/video (A/V) equipment. CES started in 1967 in a New York City hotel ballroom as a semiannual venue for retailers to shop for TVs and audio equipment. However, A/V exhibits have been decreasing at CES. Nevertheless, Audio/Video was reinserted this year on the CES Topics chart this year.

This article is a compilation of robotic exhibits I found unique. In a subsequent article I’ll survey AI, flying machine, food preparation, and A/V products. We’ll then look at nostalgia products that blend old aesthetics with current technologies.

Robots as servants

LG—Home automation (www.lg.com)

LG mounts one of the largest exhibits each year at CES. This year LG introduced CLOiD™ to enthusiastic crowds. CLOiD is a robot that complements home automation by handling daily chores. The robot uses image recognition to navigate and learns the occupants’ daily activity patterns so it can perform chores when the humans are away from the home.

LG calls the connected home the ThinQ^® ecosystem and envisions the combination of ThinQ and CLOiD as a “Zero Labor Home.” The robot is basically a simulated head with two arms on a wheeled base designed for stability. Each arm has mobility in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, plus five fingers that can each articulate independently for object manipulation. Movement is enabled with LG actuators called AXIUM™ that receive signals from a controller driven by AI, creating the emerging field of “Physical AI.” The robot communicates using a simulated voice and a display on the head.

According to Steve Baek, president of the LG Home Appliance Solution Company, “We will continue our relentless efforts to achieve our Zero Labor Home vision, making housework a thing of the past so that customers can spend more time on the things that really matter.”

Your Kitchen Maid

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iM5e1frCis

X Barista—Coffee point (www.thuderobotics.com)

Billed as “The world’s first AI-powered barista … AI Powered, autonomous coffee stations delivering coffee-shop quality without staff.” It makes a cup of coffee in a minute. The entire machine occupies about 20 square feet.

The robot is called a “coffee point” not a vending machine. The machine makes at least 18 varieties of specialty coffee drinks. It uses AI to recognize customers and learn their preferences.

The manufacturer Thud e-Robotics is a Turkish company. Setup takes about an hour followed by a 30-minute calibration. Daily cleaning is half an hour. The company provides remote monitoring and diagnostics. X Barista is available for rent or sale and is promoted for shopping venues, hospitals, and airports. The cost is recouped in nine months based on sales of 200 cups per day.

Your Personal Barista

www.youtube.com/shorts/H2pxNAEdDBo

Intbot—Customer service (www.intbot.ai)

“We offer humanoid robots that elevate guest experience in hospitality.” This is the tag line of Intbot, which makes robots that do not depend on a script or human supervision. These robots interact with humans using social cues so they can “read the room” in a dynamic human environment.

Intbot uses a proprietary social intelligence engine called IntEng that enables the robot to interact with humans autonomously. The intended market is hospitality, such as hotels, airports, and resorts with the robot offering concierge services. The company is based in San Jose, California.

The Concierge Robot

www.youtube.com/shorts/zFzgMCw91SM

Robots for entertainment

Realhand—Pianists (www.realhand.com)

Realhand™ specializes in robots with dexterity like human hands. These products sense, adapt, and perform interactions with the real world. The company offers scholarships to support research on AI, robotics, machine learning, and computer vision using the robotic hands. The technology combines robotics, sensing, and cloud-based AI. Realhand is based in Palo Alto, California.

A Human-like Hand

www.youtube.com/shorts/Cdi7zMdHjsY

Unitree—Dog —>Human (www.unitree.com)

Unitree Robotics was founded in 2016 to specialize in robots with four legs and has expanded to humanoid robots. The robot can use feet or wheels to carry more than 50 pounds for three hours while walking almost eight miles. It can climb stairs and walk up 45° slopes. The technology includes voice interaction, GPS tracking equipment, lights and lidar sensors. (Lidar means “light detection and ranging”. Lidar measures distances using laser pulses.). Prices start at $16,000. The parent company YuShu Technology Co., Ltd is based in China.

A Robotic Dog and a Robotic Human

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI8UUu9g8iI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSPxRVTJW1I

Robots as companions

Realbotix—With a human touch (www.realbotix.com)

According to the company, “Realbotix designs AI-powered humanoid robots built for meaningful human interaction.” Realbotix seeks to improve the connection between humans and machines. Each robot is custom designed for appearance including the option to duplicate the image of an existing human. The AI and robotic visible features are intended to look like and act like a human, to interact with humans, and to live with humans in various social settings.

The founder of this company is described as artistically driven to create silicone-based humanoid dolls and robots. Realbotix is headquartered in Canada with manufacturing in the US.

Your New Social Circle of Friends

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bq91og7VmM&t=105s

Cocomo—Playmate robot (www.ludensai.com)

Cocomo is a toy companion robot intended to be an everyday playmate. It rolls on a base following its owner and interacts via voice and touch. It communicates via “natural sounds, hums, and expressions that transcend language barriers.” This toy and human build an emotional bond as the toy adapts to the human.

The robot processes data locally at the edge rather than in a cloud server. This facilitates real-time perception and processing. The surface of the toy is heated to human-body temperature and offers lifelike tactile responses to encourage touching.

Cocomo is a product of Ludens AI, a startup based in Japan. Ludens describes its mission and vision as “From well-being and peace of mind, we create a future where people and AI grow better together … toward a world where AI companions enrich the heart.”

An AI Toy and Companion

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6IEb2L8EcU

Lovense—intimacy with a doll

Lovense was started in 2010 to provide tools for couples to maintain a long-distance relationship. At CES the company displayed a full-size mannequin labeled as your robotic AI companion. The doll encourages the user to share intimate thoughts and responds accordingly. These conversations are processed by a server in the cloud.

I asked the company about privacy protection and was assured that all data from these conversations are confidential. Then I made an offhand comment that the user wouldn’t want any details shared with a real-life partner or used for blackmail. The company representative thought for a moment. She then replied that customer data could generate additional revenue for Lovense and said she would discuss it with her manager. So much for privacy when there is money to be made!

Your New Love Interest?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=poMC4-YxXhQ

Preparing for CES 2027

Attendance at CES requires considerable advanced planning. Beyond arranging accommodations and travel, planning four days to cover more than 4100 exhibits is daunting. The show was spread out in eight exhibit halls, each larger than a sports stadium. The distance between halls was up to two miles. Some exhibitors hold product demos in nearby hotel rooms. I received more than a hundred product promotions via email last December.

I estimate I walked by about half of the exhibits in four days at the show and stopped at about a hundred booths. I also attended presentations on home automation and energy management, and attended a reception featuring electric vehicle equipment vendors. As always I look forward to discovering innovation among a sea of minimal, incremental, and over-hyped product designs.