CES 2026 showcases physical AI in daily life

From home robots that fold laundry and bake bread, to humanoid robots that walk on two legs and work in factories, to robot teaching assistants equipped with organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screens for faces.

At CES 2026, the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology trade show, opening on Jan. 6 local time in Las Vegas, artificial intelligence is expected to offer a glimpse of a near future in which it permeates the physical world, from homes to factories, in areas most closely tied to everyday life. One year after CES highlighted the potential of so-called physical AI, this year’s exhibition is set to demonstrate how those concepts are being applied in real-world settings.

This year’s CES will feature about 4,300 companies from more than 160 countries, down from about 4,800 exhibitors last year. A total of 853 South Korean companies are taking part, the third-largest contingent after the United States, with 1,476, and China, with 942.

● Home robots promise freedom from household chores

South Korean companies are putting physical AI at the center of their CES showcases. LG Electronics will unveil and demonstrate its home robot, LG CLOi, on Jan. 5. The company said it developed LG CLOi to pursue what it describes as the ultimate goal of its home appliance business, enhancing quality of life by freeing people from household chores.

LG CLOi has an upper body with a head and two arms, and a lower body mounted on wheels. By adjusting its posture, the robot can change its height from 105 to 143 centimeters, allowing it to easily grasp objects on the floor or on high shelves. Its two arms offer a range of motion comparable to that of human arms, and each hand is equipped with five independently moving fingers. The head contains a chipset that serves as the robot’s brain, along with a display, speakers, cameras and various sensors. Equipped with voice-based generative AI, the robot communicates using human language and facial expressions.

LG CLOi can prepare breakfast for users busy getting ready for work by taking milk from the refrigerator and placing bread in the oven according to a meal plan set the day before. It can also gather essential items such as car keys and a presentation remote and hand them to the user. After the user leaves home, the robot can operate the washing machine on its own and organize freshly washed towels. When a cleaning robot is activated, LG CLOi can also clear obstacles from its cleaning path.

● AI remains the central theme

Hyundai Motor Group will debut the research version of its next-generation electric Atlas humanoid, developed by subsidiary Boston Dynamics, at CES for the first time. The model features joints capable of 360-degree rotation, enabling natural walking and fully autonomous operation at worksites. Hyundai plans to systematically train Atlas in its manufacturing environments to accelerate collaboration between humans and robots.

Samsung Display will showcase small concept robots that use OLED panels as faces and interact with people through AI. One example is the AI OLED Bot, a compact robot equipped with a 13.4-inch OLED screen in place of a face. At CES, the robot will demonstrate its role as a teaching assistant, guiding students to classrooms and providing information on professors, assignments and class cancellations at universities.

Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to appear on the CES stage for the second consecutive year on Jan. 5 through Nvidia Live. After highlighting physical AI last year, attention is focused on whether he will introduce a new theme this time. On the same day, AMD CEO Lisa Su, a CES keynote speaker, is expected to outline how AI is driving changes across corporate operations, devices and servers.


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