Memorable robots at CES ranged from a ping‑pong player to a laundry folder

CES this year featured a wide array of robots on the show floor, and the event also included the production‑ready debut of Atlas, the humanoid from Boston Dynamics. Showroom robots often serve as marketing rather than a direct reflection of current commercial deployment, but they offered attendees a glimpse of possible directions.

At Sharpa’s booth a full‑bodied bot demonstrated the company’s robotic hand by playing table tennis; when observed it was losing to a human 5‑9. Sharpa told the reporter its main product is the robotic hand and the full bot was shown to highlight that dexterity. EngineAI displayed humanoid bots dubbed the T800 in a mock boxing ring; the machines largely shadowboxed without hitting each other, wandered out of the ring and once tripped and fell, and an onlooker was quoted as saying, “That’s too much like Robocop.” Unitree’s dancing robots attracted attention as well.

The company has faced scrutiny over potential ties to the Chinese military, and has announced a humanoid it says can supposedly run up to 11 mph, though the booth itself showed robots performing dance moves rather than anything nefarious. Galbot styled a booth like a convenience store and demonstrated a robot synced to a menu app that fetched selected items; after the reporter chose Sour Patch Kids the bot retrieved a box.

The company’s website says the robot has been deployed in real‑world settings, including as an assistant at Chinese pharmacies.

Key Topics

Tech, Atlas, Ces, Sharpa, Engineai, Unitree