Technology0Robots of CES: Meet the Cutest, Smartest and Most Helpful Bots of 2023

CES is famously the place where big tech companies showcase new TVs, laptops and smart appliances. But it’s often the case that robots end up stealing the show. From cute pet robots, to truly weird automatons, to those revolutionizing farming and industry, we can’t get enough and we’re here to introduce you to them all.

Every year, big companies like LG and Samsung and small startups show off the latest batch of cutting-edge robotics at the consumer electronics conference in Las Vegas. We’re here with a heads-up on some exciting robots that are making their public debut at CES 2023.

Robots already play a part in many of our lives, thanks to Roomba or even more experimental attempts like Amazon’s Astro, but CES is where we get a glimpse of where the technology is headed. It’s at CES that we first saw robots as companions and as creepy real imitations of people, and this year won’t be any different. 

This is the first time since 2020 that CNET has been back on the ground in Vegas in force, so expect our staffers to be meeting plenty of robots on the show floor — hopefully ones that can make them a hot dinner, give them a workout or fold their laundry, as we’ve seen in previous years.

Amid all the noise of the show, it can be hard to keep track of what’s happening at CES, but don’t worry — we’ve got you. Consider this our running list of all the best and most interesting robots at CES 2023. 

Adorable pet substitute Dog-E

Dog-E isn’t just another robo-dog. Thanks to over 1 million possible combinations of sounds, lights and personality traits, this robot pet comes with a unique personality all of its own. If your kids are pestering for a dog, but you don’t have the time or space, this $80 toy might be the perfect solution.

John Deere’s robot planter

John Deere is a regular exhibitor at CES, and each year the tractor-maker turns up with the latest and greatest tech to make farming more sustainable and efficient. This year, it’s brought along the ExactShot, a robot with sensors that can detect and fertilize individual seeds, cutting down on the waste associated with traditional scattershot fertilization methods.

Aeo the humanoid helper

Aeo is a robot designed to lend a helping hand — particularly in health and social care settings. It’s both strong and gentle, allowing it perform the heavy lifting while handling delicate goods such as medication or electronics.

Pyxel the coding pup

CNET Senior Reporter Bree Fowler met Pyxel the coding dog on the CES show floor. It’s a toy designed for kids age 8 and up, and you can teach it to perform a number of tricks, including sitting, speaking and shaking paws. It can also run around and light up in various colors.

CES Innovation Award Honorees

Other robots on our radar at this year’s CES are those that have been picked by the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES. Ahead of the show, the trade group handpicks the products it thinks are most forward-thinking and exciting and crown them CES Innovation Award Honorees. This year, a bunch of exciting robots have grabbed their (and our) attention. 

Among the honorees, the one we can perhaps most imagine having in our own home is the Yardo, a yard care robot that’s more than just another smart lawn mower. With interchangeable heads, it can also clear snow and blow leaves or debris, making it an all-weather gardening companion.

Other robots in the awards might not be for the home, but that doesn’t make them any less intriguing. The Agrist L Robot can pick harvest-ready peppers with millimeter precision through layered leaves. Why only green peppers? We’ve yet to find out, but when we do, we’ll let you know.

Hi-Bot, a robot from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology and Hills Robots is a self-driving guide robot that can be used in various scenarios from conferences to hospitals. It distinguishes itself by the 360-degree omnidirectional stereoscopic hologram on top of its head, allowing for immersive face-to-face meetings. 

A potential god-send for EV owners, Parky is an autonomous EV recharging robot that can provide 50 miles of driving range. It allows you to park anywhere in the parking lot, not just the designated charging spots, and Parky will come to you.

On the medical end of the robotics spectrum, Godesign’s BIOT Korean Stem Cell Navigator robot can administer drug treatments to the affected areas of the body in a minimally invasive manner.

In the Fitness and Sport Award category is the iVolve Pro, a tennis-training robot that allows you to train alone without another player. Using a combination of computer vision and AI, the robot can move around the court to fire balls at you from different positions.

In the mobility category is Neubie, the latest in a long line of delivery robots. This one, from South Korea-based Neubility, relies on a multicamera system called V-Slam instead of lidar sensors, which optimizes it for navigating high-density urban environments. It also has adorably large eyes.

Interested in seeing more robots? Keep checking back throughout the week as we pound the CES show floor in Las Vegas. We’ll be sure to show you all the latest, cutest and weirdest bots as and when we meet them.