The best tech announced at CES 2026 so far
The best tech announced at CES 2026 so far

The CES show floor officially closes its doors at the end of the day, but there’s still a trickle of announcements and reveals coming out of Las Vegas. If you’re struggling to stay on top of all the new tech, gadgets, concepts, and AI-powered devices as the final day of CES gets underway, we’re still […]

This robot companion is a cameraman for your pet
This robot companion is a cameraman for your pet

For a long time, tech companies have pitched pet cameras as a way to find out what your furball is up to when you’re not home. Vex, a new robot companion launched at CES this week, takes that a step further: it follows your pet around, filming as it goes, and uses AI smarts to […]

LG says its CLOiD home robot will be folding laundry and making breakfast at CES
LG says its CLOiD home robot will be folding laundry and making breakfast at CES

LG teased that it would be showing off a new robot for a “zero labor home” at CES. We now have a bit more detail on what to expect. The company says that its CLOiD home robot can fetch milk from the fridge, put a croissant in the oven, and even do some laundry, including […]

SwitchBot says its humanoid household robot can do your laundry
SwitchBot says its humanoid household robot can do your laundry

SwitchBot is bringing a new household robot to CES 2026. The smart home company is launching the Onero H1, which it calls “the most accessible AI household robot.” The announcement follows last year’s debut of its multitasking household bot – a robot vacuum mounted to a mobile platform. SwitchBot says the Onero is a general-use […]

This startup brought WALL-E to life and will also sell you WALL-E’s weird cousin
This startup brought WALL-E to life and will also sell you WALL-E’s weird cousin

An AI robotics startup called Zeroth is turning WALL-E into a real-life robot companion. Though the WALL-E version with the Disney-licensed design is currently only on sale in China, Zeroth is launching what looks like an off-brand version of the beloved bot in the US for $5,599. The bot, called the W1, doesn’t feature WALL-E’s […]

Humanoid robot teleoperator manages to kick himself where it hurts

Humanoid robots have come on leaps and bounds in recent times, and much is expected of the advanced machines in the coming year. The process of training humanoid robots can take various forms. Unitree’s G1 robot for example, is trained partly through t…

LG teases a new chore-completing home robot
LG teases a new chore-completing home robot

LG is getting ready to take the wraps off a new robot it claims is capable of performing a “wide range” of household chores. The robot, called LG CLOiD, will make its debut at CES next month, featuring two articulated arms and five individually actuated fingers on each hand. Though we only have a description […]

Humanoid robots are coming. Eventually?
Humanoid robots are coming. Eventually?

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on robotics and AI, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. We’re taking a winter break! The Stepback will be back on January 11th, 2026. […]

Europol imagines robot crime waves in 2035
Europol imagines robot crime waves in 2035

Rapid advances in AI and robotics are set to become both powerful tools for police and potent weapons for criminals, a 48-page report from pan-European police agency Europol argues. Earlier this month, Europol’s Innovation Lab published “The Unmanned Future(s): The impact of robotics and unmanned systems on law enforcement.” The document is framed as more […]

iRobot’s bankruptcy isn’t the end — it’s a reboot, says CEO
iRobot’s bankruptcy isn’t the end — it’s a reboot, says CEO

The news that the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, iRobot, filed for bankruptcy this week came as no surprise. Its CEO, Gary Cohen, had been warning investors all year that the company could run out of cash unless a buyer was found. When its last potential deal fell through, bankruptcy became inevitable. But Cohen […]