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(Bloomberg) — At the CES trade show\u00a0in Las Vegas this week, robots poured coffee, played ping pong, dealt poker hands and folded laundry \u2014 all within a few feet of one another.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Human-inspired\u00a0robots, aptly called humanoids,\u00a0have emerged as the tech industry\u2019s big bet on what comes next. They stand erect, like people, although they can\u2019t always walk. And they\u00a0can move through the world as people do, use the same tools and perform similar tasks \u2014 but ultimately more efficiently. Or at least that\u2019s the goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
When LG Electronics Inc.\u2019s new robot, CLOiD, rolled onto the CES stage earlier this week, the real surprise wasn\u2019t its human form \u2013 it was that the company attempted a live demo at all. Humanoids are often kept tucked away in warehouses, with companies offering little proof they work outside of tightly controlled\u00a0experiments. And those that do attempt public\u00a0presentations\u00a0often find the risk outweighs the reward.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
But CLOiD \u2013 which stands at slightly less than five feet tall and has\u00a0a digital display for eyes \u2013 trundled across the stage on wheels and waved to conference attendees with its two hands. It then slowly loaded a single piece of clothing into a washing machine \u2014 almost painfully slowly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cLG\u2019s AI home envisions a seamlessly connected flow between devices, spaces and human behavior, ultimately achieving our goal of a zero-labor home that saves both time and comfort,\u201d said LG executive Brandt Varner\u00a0during a press event\u00a0on Monday, pitching a vision of domestic automation so seamless that CLOiD might one day toast a croissant for you before you head out to work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The concept robot, which uses artificial intelligence and vision-based technology to perform household tasks like laundry, is part of LG\u2019s broader push into what it calls \u201cambient care\u201d \u2014\u00a0the promise of\u00a0machines quietly helping daily life flow more smoothly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s a bold attempt to reshape how robotics fit into the home, not necessarily through spectacle but through mundane, repetitive chores. And LG wasn\u2019t the only player promising a future with less laundry: It was\u00a0joined by others, including SwitchBot\u2019s Onero H1, another task-focused robot on wheels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
For years, fine motor control, particularly involving thumbs, has been a major obstacle. Recent advances, however, are making humanoids more nimble, allowing them to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Humanoid robots are among the biggest draws this year at CES. The Consumer Technology Association, which organizes the annual show, dedicated an exhibition hall to robotics, reflecting how \u201cphysical AI\u201d has become the tech industry\u2019s next big phase. Beyond humanoids, many robotics on display are designed for business settings, including manufacturing, logistics and food service. Companies such as Artly Coffee and VenHub Global showcased AI-powered robotic caf\u00e9s and convenience stores.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
But it was impossible to ignore\u00a0the life-size humanoids. Nylo, a machine built by IntBot, greeted\u00a0attendees and answered questions without human assistance. The company lured reporters and attendees to its booth with the promise of \u201creal-world proof, not just a demo\u201d in a press release.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Bigger companies also demonstrated their prowess in robotics. Chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. used its CES booth to\u00a0make the case that its processors and software form the backbone of physical AI, and are capable of powering both household robots and full-size humanoids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Boston Dynamics and majority-owner Hyundai Motor Co. announced that testing is underway for a next-generation version of the humanoid Atlas robot used at the carmaker\u2019s Georgia factory. Boston Dynamics is already considered a leader in advanced robotics, thanks to the success of its robotic dog Spot and a mobile robotic arm known as Stretch for restocking warehouses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Money has been flooding into robotics, but significant challenges remain before humanoids are deemed sufficiently safe, mobile and cheap to be\u00a0commercially viable. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Some companies have moved away\u00a0from legged robots, which can be unstable, in favor of bots on wheels and other designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Home environments can be difficult for robots to navigate because they\u2019re\u00a0unpredictable \u2014\u00a0hey, where did that dog come from! \u2014 and often cluttered. And though bots loading washing machines may stun on stage, it\u2019s hard to justify paying tens of thousands of dollars to save a few minutes on laundry day.\u00a0\u00a0More compelling uses may present themselves in settings\u00a0such as hospitals, where robots could handle repetitive laundry work at scale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Robots must also move beyond step-by-step instructions \u2014\u00a0\u201cthe boxes need to be in the van\u201d\u00a0\u2014 and figure out what to do themselves,\u00a0said Bill Ray, chief of research at market firm Gartner.\u00a0For now, the near future will likely be dominated by robots built for specific jobs, like mowing the lawn and yes, doing laundry, rather than humanoids trying to do everything at once.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
For all these reasons, deployment will accelerate more quickly in factories, where robots are often separated from their human colleagues, but it will likely be years before they\u2019re commonplace in ordinary homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been saying for the last few years that the most practical application for a humanoid robot was to artificially inflate your share price,\u201d Ray said. \u201cThey look great walking on stage, but are entirely impractical in use.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n