According to the International Robotics Foundation, 35 million service robots will be sold by 2018. And at CES 2017, dozens of them are parading around for attention. Want to see what they look like? Check out TechRepublic’s photos.
Kuri, an intelligent, home robot comes from Mayfield Robotics. Designed by a former Pixar animator, this 20-inch tall, 14-pound robot has expressive eyes, which have a built-in HD camera to capture photos and videos, recognize faces, and monitor your home. Kuri also has a high-tech microphone and sensors for detecting objects. He is battery operated, and comes with a charging station.
Available later in 2017, Olly, developed by Emotech Inc., can play music, control other internet-enabled devices, and offer advice. This tabletop robot also has incredible adaptability, and can recognize different members of the household to personalize his interactions.
Here’s a closer look at Hub, powered by Amazon Alexa. Hub is a digital assistant that can answer questions, turn on music, and check weather. More impressively, it connects to home IoT appliances, like washing machines and vacuum cleaners, and can recognize individual faces for personalized interactions.
This waterproof, solar-powered weeding robot, made by Franklin Robotics, can live outdoors in your garden and remove weeds without the use of pesticides. Still in development, Tertill will launch a crowdfunding campaign in the summer of 2017, and should be priced around $250-300.
Ewaybot’s 4-foot tall, 80-pound robot is little, but carries a hefty pricetag: $30K a unit. MoRo is able to lift heavy objects and deliver them to you after you give it the instruction, and has up to eight hours of battery life. It’s expected out in the first half of 2017.
Qihan’s Sanbot, a service robot now available in China, is currently used across industries ranging from retail to education to healthcare, and costs in the neighborhood of $6,000.
Mattel’s kid-friendly bot is Alexa powered, with a build-in assistant dubbed “Aristotle.” Beyond playing bedtime lullabies, Aristotle responds to kids’ questions–usually of a different variety from the ones adults ask. Expected cost: $300.
Available in May 2017, EvoVac’s robot is multi-functional. It’s a vacuum cleaner, mobile home security camera, and even an air purifier/humidifier–all in one.
Hope Reese is a writer based in Louisville, Kentucky, currently living in Budapest. Her work has appeared in the Atlantic, the Boston Globe, Vox, Vice and other publications.