Tesla says production-ready Optimus robot is coming soon
Tesla says production-ready Optimus robot is coming soon

In its earnings report, Tesla says that the third-generation version of its Optimus humanoid robot “meant for mass production” will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2026. This new version of Optimus will include “major upgrades from version 2.5, including our latest hand design.” And the company is making preparations for the first production […]

This soft humanoid robot is designed to be ‘physically safe and socially approachable’
This soft humanoid robot is designed to be ‘physically safe and socially approachable’

A startup called Fauna Robotics has revealed a new humanoid robot called Sprout it’s been developing over the past two years. Standing around 3.5-feet tall, Sprout’s design, featuring a soft padded exterior, a wide head, and expressive mechanical eyebrows, was inspired by some of science fiction’s friendlier robots like Baymax and Rosie Jetson, the startup’s […]

This robot learned to lip sync like humans by watching YouTube

A robot face developed by researchers can now lip sync speech and songs after training on YouTube videos, using machine learning to connect audio directly to realistic lip and facial movements.
The post This robot learned to lip sync like humans by wat…

The Atlas humanoid robot attempted a backflip. Here’s what happened

At the recent CES 2026 tech show in Las Vegas, Boston Dynamics showed off the latest version of its advanced Atlas humanoid robot, a machine that it’s been working on for more than a decade. The robot strolled onto the stage with such a natural gait th…

This artificial skin could give ‘human-like’ sensitivity to robots

A new artificial skin unveiled at CES 2026 could give robots human-like sensitivity, helping machines better understand pressure and texture to handle objects, adapt their grip, and interact with people and environments more naturally.
The post This ar…

Samsung’s Ballie robot is probably never coming out
Samsung’s Ballie robot is probably never coming out

Samsung’s spherical Ballie robot may be rolling off into the sunset, less than a year after its retail launch was announced. The smart home robot has made an appearance at CES almost every year since it was first announced in 2020, but was notably absent at CES 2026. Unfortunately, its disappearance may be because Ballie […]

What surprised us the most at CES 2026
What surprised us the most at CES 2026

There are some things you can reliably expect to see at the Consumer Electronics Show every year. Companies will announce big splashy TVs, there’s going to be a bunch of new gadgets for charging your other gadgets, and the odds are good that a robot or two is going to hilariously malfunction. But CES always […]

At CES, EVs take a backseat to robotaxis and AI
At CES, EVs take a backseat to robotaxis and AI

It says a lot about the current moment when one of the world’s largest EV sellers shows up at the world’s biggest electronics show to announce not a new, more affordable model or a cool futuristic concept car, but a humanoid robot. And one we’ve seen already. Hyundai’s decision to use its CES keynote to […]

CES promises the robot butler, but delivers better Roombas instead
CES promises the robot butler, but delivers better Roombas instead

If you listen to the CES hype machine this year, you might think that robots are finally ready to take over your domestic duties. To some extent that’s true, but take note of the plural: there’s no single robot ready to take over all of your household chores yet, but an army of them just […]

AI moves into the real world as companion robots and pets
AI moves into the real world as companion robots and pets

Artificial intelligence doesn’t always want to optimize your life or steal your job. Sometimes, AI just wants to be your friend. And while robot pets weren’t the biggest stars of CES 2026, they’ve become more than just noise and are signaling how AI is apparently leaving our screens and taking on a physical presence in […]