Realbotix aims to make its humanoid robots as human as possible, and I had an opportunity at CES 2026 to interview them — including its new guy robot named David.
Last year, my video on Realbotix was the most-viewed video I produced at CES. The company’s humanoid robots stand in place on a rolling stand that also contains their battery. Not a bad way to hide a potential illusion-breaking battery bulge and a robot walk.
These robots aren’t designed to go upstairs or walk around. They are meant to stand in place and talk to people. Maybe from behind a concierge desk, maybe at an information booth giving out instructions, or maybe in a group home keeping people company.
As someone who stands in place and talks for a living, I was a bit freaked out, especially after I asked the robot to deliver the video’s ending.
Trying to mimic human form, emotion and facial movements inevitably means Realbotix has to charge directly through the Uncanny Valley, a term used to describe the point at which something appears human, but not quite, creating a visceral feeling of unease.
In my opinion, Realbotix still has a ways to go before the company achieves the illusion of realness it says it’s chasing. However, I will say there were some times during the interview when the robot appeared to lock eyes with me, and it was a very bizarre feeling.
Realbotix is developing a vision system that can follow people around. However, it wasn’t in the robots I was interviewing, so those moments of eye contact were just an “optical illusion,” according to Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel.
To see my interview with the robots of Realbotix (and the company’s CEO), check out the video in this article.
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