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The best robots at CES 2021

Erika Rawes
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CES has gone virtual this year, but there’s still a ton of amazing tech on display. With everything from A.I. innovation to cleaning tech, CES 2021 provides a look into the near future, with the latest and greatest offerings from brands both large and small. This year, we’re seeing quite a few robots — robots that help you around the house, educational robots, and even robots designed to combat COVID-19. Check out some of the best robots from CES 2021 below.

More CES 2021 coverage

  • CES 2021 Experience Center
  • CES 2021: MustSee
  • CES 2021: Product Launches
  • CES 2021: Innovations

Samsung Bot Handy

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung garnered a lot of attention this year with its Bot Handy “robot butler.” Samsung shows off the robot emptying the dishwasher, picking up around the house, pouring a glass of wine, and raising and lowering itself based on the height of the items it needs to pick up. Just imagine getting home from work and having a robot clean up and pour you a glass of wine after a tough day! We don’t know when the Bot Handy will come to market or how much it will cost, but the idea of a chore-doing robot sounds pretty amazing, so we’ll be on the lookout for updates.

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Samsung Bot Care

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Samsung also showed off other bots, including a robot vacuum with a built-in security camera (the JetBot 90 AI +) and the Bot Care. The Bot Care is supposed to act as more of a personal assistant, only it travels around the home or office with you. It has a tablet-like display on the bot for calls and communication, plus it can learn your behavior so it can help to better assist you. Like the Bot Handy, the Bot Care isn’t available just yet, but we’ll be watching for this advanced assistant.

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LG UV Robot


Some of the tech at CES 2021 is aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. LG is developing an autonomous robot that uses UV-C light to disinfect. The company plans to target hospitality, retail, and business locations, providing a device that can sanitize during the pandemic. “This autonomous UV robot comes at a time when hygiene is of the highest priority for hotel guests, students, and restaurant customers,” said vice president Roh Kyu-chan, head of the robot business division in LG’s Business Solutions Company in a press release. The robot will generally irradiate touchable surfaces in 15 to 30 minutes, and it can disinfect multiple surfaces on a single charge. LG’s UV robot will be available in early 2021.

Similarly, the Coro-bot by Hills Engineering also works to kill viruses and bacteria, traveling around and sterilizing using UV light. It has arms as well as an air circulator that helps to kill germs.

Vanguard’s Moflin


Have you ever wanted a pet, but without all of the responsibility? Vanguard might be an ideal option for you. This adorable hamster-like little robot creature is soft and fluffy, and it’s a lot like a real pet. It will develop its own personality based on its environment (how you treat your Moflin), and it’s loaded with tech — sensors, gyroscopes, Bluetooth, app connectivity, and more. Vanguard expects to start delivering Moflins in 2021.

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The Petite Qoobo by Yukai Engineering was also on display at CES 2021, which is a smaller version of the brand’s original Qoobo. It’s a furry robotic cushion with a tail that wags when you pet it. It’s designed to be therapeutic, as you can hold the Qoobo and pet it for comfort.

Moxie by Embodied


Moxie is a children’s learning robot. At first glance, it doesn’t look all that advanced, but Moxie uses machine learning to “perceive, process, and respond to natural conversation, eye contact, facial expressions, and other behavior, as well as recognize and recall people, places, and things,” according to its CES 2021 innovation award honoree page.

Moxie is designed for social and emotional learning, and it sells for $1,699.

ITRI’s DARS robot


ITRI’s Dual Arm Robot System (DARS) has human-like features — arms, hands, a torso, and a head. It can perform tasks for humans, and we’re excited to see where it will go “By adopting advanced sensor technologies and machine learning algorithms, the robot will achieve more versatility. ITRI welcomes industrial and academic partners to co-create more innovative DARS applications,” the company says in a press release.

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Erika Rawes
Erika Rawes
Smart Home Evergreen Coordinator
Erika became a professional writer in 2010, and her work is published all over the web on sites ranging from USA Today to…
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