The CES, held in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11, has hosted 150 000 visitors, including 23 000 non-American. Comprising most of the players in the electronics industry and information technology, the fair was an opportunity to introduce many new products. Without making a comprehensive summary of the event, here is a zoom on the news for domestic robots.

In the field of entertainment robots, WowWee Chinese society confirms its lead. Was first presented a new version of its RoboSapien soon equipped with a screen LCD, which enables the user to program the robotic toys more sharply than before, giving it “its own personality.” But the star was probably a new robot, “PEA Bot, vaguely humanoid and built on the basis of a Segway, a mobile device with two parallel wheels whose stability is managed electronically. The robot, which will be available later in year, one can explore its environment while avoiding obstacles, but also “laugh, cry and even joking” with his human counterparts.

Lego is back with new kits robotic Mindstorms. They are characterized mainly by a “NXT brick, designed to manage the behavior of amateur robotic creations. This brick, which is shaped like an iPod, has a processor 32-bit programmable via a PC. Lego ensures that its new generation can be used to easily create sophisticated machines, allowing those who wish “making and program robots that do what they want.” Note that these products are marketed starting this summer, accompanied by opening a blog independently, its holding has been entrusted to Jeff James, author, video game developer and host communities born around Lego Mindstorms.

Last year the same CES, several Korean companies had submitted robot vacuums autonomous, intended to compete with the Roomba U.S.. This year has confirmed the attractiveness of South Korea for the domestic machinery, including the presentation of Microrobot UBOT, a robot that can vacuum and clean floors. The machine has a new algorithm which ensures, by its creators, “no place is immune from the ground.” It may also, to locate within the home, relying on reading barcodes installed in various locations of the parts. In turn, the company Yujin presented a new model of the robot vacuum cleaner, the icleboQ, characterized by a time to recharge its battery twice lower than previous versions, and energy autonomy increased by 50%.