Some things in life are guaranteed: death and taxes, sure, but also that there will be robots at CES. I’ve met many robots at the Las Vegas tech show over the years — I’ve even played Cards Against Humanity and table tennis against a couple of them — and it’s always been a highlight of the event for me.
As anticipated, the robots are back in force at CES 2024. Some have an element of personality to them, often through the inclusion of some kind of recognizable facial features, while others are just busy little autonomous machines with a job too. To our delight, many of them are making food and drink that we’ve been snaffling as we roam the convention center halls. Referring to these countertop machines as robots might have you asking what actually defines a robot — but worry not, it’s a question we answered all the way back at CES 2017.
An unfortunate side note: Most of the robots we’ve seen at CES never make it out of the show and into the wider world, and certainly not into our homes. The huge leaps forward in AI we’ve seen over the past few years give me hope that home robots may yet make the leap off the show floor. AI is fundamental to the functioning of autonomous machines such as robots, and more advanced AI could well lead to robots that are capable of doing more than trimming our lawns and vacuuming our floors.
In the meantime, here’s the closest thing we currently have to what our robot overlords are up to this year.
Samsung Ballie
We’ll start the petition for Samsung to put Ballie on sale.
The return of Samsung’s Ballie to CES didn’t come as a surprise. First unveiled at CES 2020, Ballie disappeared for a few years before bouncing back new with a built-in projector.
Ballie is a combo of companion entertainer and security guard. It can follow you around your house with its wheels, analyze your posture using its camera and stream content for you. It’s also bright yellow, making it cute and hopefully so visible that you don’t trip over it in spite of its diminutive size.
The big question for Samsung is whether this cute little home robot will ever be more than a prop it brings out to delight during press conferences? There’s no price or release date for Ballie at the moment, so don’t get your hopes up.
Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo
Samsung’s Bespoke Jet Bot Combo, awaiting a mess to clean up.
Ballie wasn’t the only robot Samsung brought to CES this year (even if it was the most fun). The far more practical Bespoke Jet Bot Combo is an all-star mopping and vacuuming machine that can clean up your red wine spill without you even having to leave the sofa.
With its AI-powered object recognition, it knows where to go and where not to go. Samsung even promises that you can trust it do its thing without falling down the stairs. We love an independent queen.
Oro Dog Companion
If Oro can’t solve the issue on its own, it will alert you remotely to your dog’s most pressing needs.
What’s cuter than your dog? Absolutely nothing, of course. But with its baffled face and snowman-esque stature, the Oro Dog Companion is trying its best.
As well as two-way audio and video that allows you to keep an eye on and communicate with your pup while you’re away from home, the Oro can play with your furry friend, feed them treats and learn about them to recognize signs of distress or restlessness. If you’re worried about separation anxiety or simply want your pet to have the very best that money can buy, you can buy this robot soon for $799.
Lenovo Magic Bay Robot
Lenovo’s Magic Bay Robot is certainly cute.
Whether you work in an office or from home, computer-based jobs can be lonely gigs sometimes. Imagine, then, that you have a small friend perched atop your screen, ready to flash you a smile whenever you need it — a sort of physical Clippy for the 21st century.
Lenovo’s Magic Bay Robot will do just that — and if we’re honest, not much else right now. Lenovo brought this small webcam-shaped bot to CES as more of a proof of concept, showing off what could be a compact personal assistant in future, once loaded up with AI skills. It’s a sweet idea that we’re excited to see evolve further (roll on CES 2025).
Yarbo
Yarbo’s here to save you on a snow day.
Most robots are indoorsy creatures, vulnerable as they are to the elements. But there’s an entire breed of bots that are built for outdoor work, and are therefore more rugged.
Enter the burly, mononymous Yarbo, a modular robot that will shovel snow and blow leaves so you don’t have to. Different attachments equip it to complete a range of outdoorsy tasks, allowing you to watch it from your window with a lovely warm cup of coffee. Such luxuries don’t come cheap, of course. The body is $4,499, and additional components range from $1,499 to $2,459 in price.
