Speaker 1: It wouldn't be c e s without a healthy dose of robots. This year's show brought us everything from robot pets to humanoid assistance to robotaxis. Here are some of the coolest and cutest robots we saw. Let's start with the AO robot from a company called AEOs Robotics. It's a humanoid that's designed to help out by delivering meals or medicine, or even by providing security. The secret to its functionality [00:00:30] lies in its gripper arm, which lets it open doors, push elevator buttons, and carry objects without human assistance.
Speaker 2: AO is sensing the table using all of the vision sensors inside the cameras inside to see where this table is located, making sure it lifts up the package high enough to not smack into anything around it and delivers me my package. Thank you.
Speaker 1: The grippers can be swapped out for different needs, so you can choose a UV sanitizing [00:01:00] hand that disinfects, handrails or doorknobs. One of aos most useful functions is delivering food and medicine to seniors. It's already helping nurses and elder care providers in Japan. Some of aos newest features demoed at CES this year include sensors that help the robot get around even in the dark. It is cameras to help it recognize faces and objects. It can learn who a patient is and alert a nurse if it senses someone is on the ground or not where they need to be.
Speaker 1: [00:01:30] Now, you're probably not going to get one of these in your house anytime soon. The goal is for companies to use this robot for functions like helping out around a hotel or providing security. A OS isn't sharing how much this robot helper will cost, but it's pricing AO like a service with a monthly fee based on the need. But what if you do want a cute little robot roaming around your house? Well lucky for you. There's Luna, the pet Robot Luna is designed to mimic the behavior of a real pet, like a dog or [00:02:00] a cat. She'll greet you when you come home, follow you around the house, and express joy when you pet her. When you call Luna's name, she'll respond and come to you. She'll also respond to voice and gesture commands like turn around or go to sleep. You can even play like you would with a real pet by having Luna Chase a ball or try to catch a laser light. Kia Eye Technology. The company that makes Luna says she can keep your actual pet's company when you're not home. I hope they like robots. Luna is also equipped with a camera and [00:02:30] speaker so you can monitor your home or your actual living pets when you're away. Luna can recognize up to 20 faces simultaneously and can spot you in a crowd. And speaking of faces, Luna has an L c D screen phase to show emotion. Her legs and ears also move an expression.
Speaker 1: If you're looking to add Luna to your family, get ready to shell out $449. Hey, pets are expensive. If you wanna spend a little less on a new robot [00:03:00] friend. There's also doggy a robot dog by wwe. This robotic, not so furry friend also responds to being petted and picked up. Hi there. And can even give little kisses.
Speaker 3: Oh, he's gonna give you
Speaker 4: Kisses. Oh.
Speaker 1: What's unique about Doggy is that each toy has individual characteristics. So the one you get might have different colors or shapes for eyes, its ears could be different or the color of its tongue. Each toy will also have a different personality, meaning it'll have different barks and running speeds. [00:03:30] One of doggies defining characteristics is that it can display words and emoticons when it wags its tail.
Speaker 5: He'll also have a happy face emoticon on his tail that he wags when he's really happy. So kind of like, like a Tamagotchi meets a robot. Dog meets uh, everything you've always wanted.
Speaker 1: Doggy will tell you when it's hungry and you can feed it and play games through an accompanying app. The Robot Pet can also do tricks like Sing and Howell Doggy will be available in October for $80. Now it's not just about [00:04:00] cute robot pets this year. Robotic concepts are also making their way into more vehicles. Take the Hyundai Iconic five Robo Taxi, which is being tested in Las Vegas. This car can navigate busy streets and pick up someone hailing a ride. Think Uber and Lyft, but without a driver behind the wheel. A handful of other companies, including Uber and Lyft, have been working on autonomous ridesharing. Waymo and Cruz also offer fully autonomous ride hailing services in some US cities, but it looks like Hyundai wants in on the fun. The [00:04:30] iconic five Robo Taxi is slated to become available in late 2023.
Speaker 1: Farm equipment is also getting a boost from robot technology. John Deere unveiled a sensor powered robotic technology called Exact Shot. Instead of shooting a stream of fertilizer into the soil, as seeds are planted, exact shot will send out timed bursts of fertilizer that coat individual seeds. This is designed to reduce fertilizer use by as much as 60%. That [00:05:00] means farmers spend less money and fewer chemicals go into the ground. John Deere says its exact shot system will be available to farmers in time for this year's spring. Planting tech like this could be especially useful as the global population grows and climate change shifts how farming is done, sensors and robotics can help farmers do more with less land and fewer resources. Last year, John Deere also showed off its first autonomous tractor. So this is really just the beginning of high-tech agriculture. [00:05:30] It's not just food production that's getting a helping hand from robots. There's also a robot mixologist called Adam that can make over a hundred types of beverages. It can serve as a robot, barista or bartender, but the feature I find most exciting is that it can concoct a refreshing cup of boba all by itself.
Speaker 1: You place an order through a touchscreen, then watch Adam's robotic arms do the rest. It's designed to help businesses, but [00:06:00] I'm already wondering if there's a way we could turn this into a kitchen appliance. Maybe someday. There's been talk about the future of robotics for decades and this year it feels like more companies are trying to find ways to make that technology actually useful, whether it's by providing a robot assistant or helping us hail a ride, or even just by offering us some company in the form of a cute little friend. Which of these products would you be most interested in trying out, and would you ever invest in your own robot, pet or assistant? [00:06:30] Let us know in the comments and don't forget to hit like and subscribe for more content from cnet. Thanks for watching.
