Realbotix goals to make its humanoid robots as human as doable, and I had a possibility at CES 2026 to interview them — together with its new man robotic named David.
Last year, my video on Realbotix was the most-viewed video I produced at CES. The corporate’s humanoid robots stand in place on a rolling stand that additionally accommodates their battery. Not a nasty technique to disguise a possible illusion-breaking battery bulge and a robotic stroll.
These robots aren’t designed to go upstairs or stroll round. They’re meant to face in place and discuss to folks. Possibly from behind a concierge desk, possibly at an info sales space giving out directions, or possibly in a gaggle dwelling retaining folks firm.
As somebody who stands in place and talks for a residing, I used to be a bit freaked out, particularly after I requested the robotic to ship the video’s ending.
Realbotix’s new man robotic David.
Attempting to imitate human kind, emotion and facial actions inevitably means Realbotix has to cost instantly by way of the Uncanny Valley, a time period used to explain the purpose at which one thing seems human, however not fairly, making a visceral feeling of unease.
In my view, Realbotix nonetheless has a methods to go earlier than the corporate achieves the phantasm of realness it says it is chasing. Nevertheless, I’ll say there have been some occasions in the course of the interview when the robotic appeared to lock eyes with me, and it was a really weird feeling.
Realbotix is creating a imaginative and prescient system that may observe folks round. Nevertheless, it wasn’t within the robots I used to be interviewing, so these moments of eye contact have been simply an “optical phantasm,” in keeping with Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel.
To see my interview with the robots of Realbotix (and the corporate’s CEO), take a look at the video on this article.
