philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Here are the robots taking the virtual stage at CES 2021

Robots to keep us safe

One such droid is Coro-Bot, an "antivirus disinfection robot" created by Hills Engineering from South Korea. The robot has autonomous driving capabilities, allowing it to move independently around environments. It uses its flexible arms to identify the areas in need of cleaning, and sterilizes them using ultraviolet. It also contains an air circulator that it says kills airborne coronavirus and other viruses using a far-Infrared ceramic filter. It's easy to imagine robots such as these being used in hospitals and other environments in which it's imperative to ensure there's no sign of coronavirus.

Robots to entertain and educate

If you've been keeping an eye on the robotics world, you might have already spied Moxie around over the past year. This friendly-faced teal robot made by startup Embodied was recently announced as one of Time's best inventions of 2020. Plus, it was listed as a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honoree.

From Japan, Yukai Engineering always brings the fun to CES with its cute home robots -- one of which is famously a cushion with a robotic tail. This year at the show, the company is introducing the Petit Qoobo, an identical but smaller sibling to its much-enjoyed animated cusion, along with an updated version of its Bocco Emo emotional home companion robot.

Each Moflin develops an individual personality over time and can express emotion through movement and sound.

Robots that take the manual out of manual labor

One of the biggest names in agriculture, John Deere has been a big presence in recent years at CES by bringing its iconic and eye-catching green machinery to the show floor. This year, the company has been given a CES Innovation Award for the robotic capabilities of its X Series combine harvesters. With cameras that allow farmers to see directly inside grain tanks, computer vision, autonomous driving capabilities and in-field machine-to-machine communication, the X Series must be among the biggest robots to ever win the award. The company is already giving select reporters a virtual experience of its CES wares. 

See the full story here: https://www.cnet.com/news/here-are-the-robots-taking-the-virtual-stage-at-ces-2021/