The robots of CES 2026: A lawn mower, helper and digital pet

CES always brings robots — some useful, some confusing, some that feel like movie props that wandered into the wrong conference. But this year, there’s a real shift: robots aren’t trying to be sci-fi anymore. They’re trying to be… helpful. Or at least comforting. Or at the very least, adorable.

Here are the standouts.

LG CLOiD: your future housemate (who folds towels… eventually)

LG’s CLOiD prototype is the closest thing here to a “main character” robot I’ve seen yet. It’s a home helper created to fold laundry, prep dinner, fetch you a drink and check in on how you’re doing when you walk in the door after work.

Its “head” doubles as an AI home hub — screen, speakers, cameras, sensors — so it can talk, respond, and even coordinate your LG appliances. Think: “start the oven,” “turn up the heat,” “warm me up, I am cold and cranky.”

Reality check? It took nearly two minutes to fold one towel — and the result looked like a toddler helped. So Rosie from The Jetsons is safe. But directionally? This is where home robots are heading: support first, sci-fi second. They’re in their “brick cellphone from the early 80’s” phase. 

Boston Dynamics + Hyundai’s Atlas: strength, precision, and zero personality (on purpose)

If CLOiD is the companion robot, Atlas is the industrial athlete. Built for factories, it stands just over six feet tall with cameras, radar, and 56 joints that let it lift, squat, twist, and carry up to 100 pounds.

The big idea? Not replacing people — protecting them from dangerous, repetitive work.

And in a very robot move: when the battery dies, Atlas swaps it out itself.

Hyundai expects Atlas on factory floors by 2028. This is one robot that truly exists to help people — not be one.

Atlas Robot Hyundai and Boston Dynamics at CES 2026l

Tombot Jennie: the robotic puppy designed for comfort 

Jennie the Labrador pup wins my unofficial “Cutest Robot at CES” award — by a mile. She’s soft, cuddly, and honestly one of the most heart-warming tech products I’ve ever seen.

This robo pup is designed for people who need the comfort of a lap dog without the responsibility — especially those living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, anxiety, or autism. It’s not a toy and it’s not trying to replace a real pet. Jennie is a healthcare device built to soothe — and to help caregivers monitor patterns like “sundowning,” when confusion and agitation spike later in the day.

I’ve covered therapy bots before, and know firsthand how well they work for people who need memory care. Jennie tracks your face, responds to touch and sound, moves gently when you interact — and even gives a little bark when you call her name. Tombot programmed about 1,500 natural behaviors so interactions feel calm and familiar, without pretending she’s alive. And yes — Jim Henson’s Creature Shop helped design her, which explains why she feels so real it almost breaks your heart.

Tombot Jennie Robot

Sweekar: the AI companion that grows up with you

Now for the weirdest — and maybe sweetest — robot here, check out Sweekar. It isn’t a helper. It’s not a pet. It’s more like a next-gen Tamagotchi - with emotional awareness.

It starts as an “egg.” As you care for it, it literally changes shape and personality over time using generative AI. You nurture it. It adapts. It becomes uniquely yours. Is it strange? Absolutely.Is it pure CES energy? 100%. Do I want one (or six)? Yes. Yes I do. 

Sweeker on display at CES 2026

LUBA 3: the robot lawnmower that actually understands a yard

Robot mowers aren’t new — but LUBA 3 is one of the first that feels ready for real-world lawns. No perimeter wires. No complicated setup. You map your yard once with your phone, and LUBA uses cameras, sensors, and GPS (accurate within about 1 centimeter) to keep track of where it is.

It handles hills, curves, weird edges, trees, kids’ toys — and detects 300+ obstacles while staying surprisingly quiet. Translation: This one doesn’t need babysitting and won’t accidentally eat a hose. 

Available now. Prices start around $2,399.

Aiper-Scuba V3 was a robot on display at CES 2026

Roborock Saros Rover: the stair-climbing vacuum

Robot vacuums have one sworn enemy: stairs. Enter Roborock's Saros Rover, which uses angled “legs” to climb — slowly but very deliberately — step-by-step. In demos, it took about 40 seconds to clear five big steps, cleaning each one on the way up. Not speedy, but still impressive.

Pricing isn’t official yet, nor is the release date, but don’t faint when you hear numbers in the $2,500-plus range.

Roborock Saros was a robot on display at CES 2026

Aiper Scuba V3: the pool cleaner that actually knows what’s dirty

The Aiper Scuba V3 is a pool cleaner that actually knows what it’s cleaning. It uses cognitive AI and onboard vision to spot dirt in real time and focus only where it’s needed, cutting runtime by up to 40% and delivering results up to ten times faster. 

Why do you care? It cleans faster, misses fewer spots and wastes less energy — while you do nothing. It’s lightweight, cordless, and truly “drop-in-and-go,” with no babysitting required. And privacy matters here — all camera data stays on the device, never uploaded or stored elsewhere. This one’s available in Q1 of 2026, and starts around $1,100. 

So what does this all add up to?

Robots aren’t some far-off future anymore. They’re arriving — slowly, awkwardly, sometimes adorably — in our actual, everyday lives. If CES 2026 is any sign, they won’t replace us. They’ll just be there beside us — folding towels, mowing lawns, keeping people safe, and offering comfort when it matters most. Not sci-fi. Just… real life. And yes — in our lifetime.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for "The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her via Techish.com or  @JennJolly on Instagram.