Weird robots kick off CES 2020

Translated from - zdnet

Food ferry cat, TP reel-carrying robot? There are new gadgets at CES that you may not expect.

When Proctor & Gamble first introduced a robot capable of delivering rolls of paper to squatters in dilapidated buildings under its Charmin brand, we robotics experts began to marvel.

As CES 2020 opens, Charmin robots are getting a lot of attention. The RollBot isn't really a product, but a concept designed to draw attention to the future of toilet experience. As Baron contributor Eric Savitz points out, in 2020, every company is a tech company, but maybe Charmin should focus on the cartoon bear product.

This is just the tip of the iceberg at this year's Titanic tech ball. As the event got underway, we also saw a robot cat designed to deliver food to diners in restaurants.

Of course, it's still interesting to be served by a Doraemon.

BellaBot was created by Chinese tech company PuduTech. It’s actually a remake of PuduTech’s existing robot waiter product, which is essentially an automated stand on wheels that delivers food to a tray. The cat exists as a cartoon character on a new screen interface.

The appearance of Doraemon at CES really caught people's attention.

This cartoon cat purrs when you stroke its ears, and says, "My hands are so warm." It meows when it wants you to pick up food.

Interestingly, PuduTech is a legitimate robotics company with a slew of products on the market. In China, this robotics market is booming, thanks in large part to the Made in China 2025 initiative, which has ignited the flames of automation in a bustling startup scene.

So why a cartoon cat face? It's a sign of something we've been waiting for for a while: Robots are no longer standalone novelties. They're becoming so ubiquitous that companies can no longer rely on functional technology alone to stand out. If you want to win the robot competition in 2020, you're going to need a gimmick, like a purring cartoon cat.

The last robot on the weird list is from UBTech. Walker is very reminiscent of Sony's Asimo robot, and is designed for almost the same purpose: to generate hype. This year, Walker added robotic Tai Chi and yoga to the circus's performances.

That’s what these robots represent, our obsession with technology makes us more determined.

It's a safe bet that some very novel and useful robots will debut at this year's CES. I've heard about (but haven't tasted) a robotic pizza oven that continues the fascinating trend of automated pizza.

The seemingly silly antics are just the beginning. If you have to spend a week in a crowded hall full of ridiculous robots, frankly, you'd rather escape to Disneyland.