How Close Are We To Robots That Actually Do Chores?
Humanoid robots appear to be going mainstream, with notable appearances on stage alongside Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, as well as throughout CES 2026. But in reality, humanoids are often still tele-operated by humans. And they’re far from ready for mass deployment in the home, where unpredictabilities like kids and pets also raise the stakes for privacy and safety concerns. Still, companies like 1X in the U.S. and Unitree in China are now selling AI home robots for $20,000 and up. CNBC went to the 2nd annual Humanoid Summit in California and CES to find out if home robots will be stuck in demo mode for years to come.
The Future of Housework: Are Humanoid Robots Finally Moving In?
For decades, we’ve been promised a "Rosie the Robot" (the robotic maid from The Jetsons) to take over our most tedious chores. While we’ve had Roombas for years, the dream of a truly capable humanoid companion has remained just that—a dream.
However, recent developments from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the Silicon Valley Humanoid Summit suggest we might be closer than ever. But are these robots actually ready for our living rooms, or is it all just "demo mode" hype?
The Current State of the "Home" Robot
Despite the buzz around tech giants like Elon Musk and companies like Figure AI, the reality of home robotics is still quite humble. Currently, the most successful home robots are limited-purpose machines, primarily vacuum cleaners.
The challenge? The home is an "unstructured" environment. Unlike a factory floor, where everything is predictable, a home has pets, children, and a variety of surfaces that make navigation and safety a nightmare for AI.
The Frontrunners in Home Chores
A few companies are making bold moves to bridge the gap between industrial utility and domestic help:
Weave Robotics: Their robot, Tradel, is already folding laundry for businesses in the Bay Area. They plan to ship their home-specific model, Isaac, to consumers in 2026. Interestingly, Weave chose wheels over legs to improve stability and speed up production .
1X: This Palo Alto-based company offers the Neo robot for pre-sale at $20,000. While it looks futuristic, it currently relies on "teleoperation"—meaning a human wearing a headset is actually controlling it behind the scenes.
Unitree & UBTECH: China-based companies are pushing hard into this space. Unitree’s G1 is considered a market leader, and UBTECH already has hundreds of humanoids deployed on production lines .
The "Teleoperation" Bridge
One of the most surprising takeaways from current humanoid development is how many "autonomous" robots aren't actually autonomous yet. Many, including Tesla’s Optimus in some demonstrations, use humans to assist remotely.
Industry experts view this as a necessary "bridge." By having humans operate the robots now, companies can collect the massive amounts of data needed to train AI models for full autonomy in the future.
Privacy and Safety: The Elephant in the Room
The idea of a robot with cameras and microphones—potentially operated by a stranger in a remote facility—raises massive privacy concerns.
Privacy: Critics argue that letting a teleoperated robot into your home is a major risk, while proponents suggest it's just an extension of the smart devices (like phones and speakers) we already use.
Safety: There are currently no universal safety "guardrails" for humanoids interacting with children or the elderly. Organizations are only now working on modern safety standards for these new form factors.
When Can You Buy One?
Opinions on the timeline vary wildly among experts:
The Optimists: Some predict humanoids will be like computers in the 1980s—entering every household as early as 2026 .
The Pragmatists: Others believe we are at least five years away due to lingering issues with dexterity and safety.
The Skeptics: Some experts suggest it could be more than a decade before a truly helpful, autonomous humanoid is a standard fixture in our homes.
We are entering an era of "Character Humanoids"—robots used for entertainment or teaching that will help society get used to having machines in the home. While a robot that can perfectly fold your laundry and scrub your shower might still be a few years away, the "Chat GPT moment" for robotics is undeniably approaching.