The robot butler dream doesn’t have legs

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="LG’s CLOiD is a robot housekeeper on wheels, not legs. The company says it’s developing a robot foundation model by training hundreds of CLOiDs in home environments. | Image: LG" data-portal-copyright="Image: LG" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/LG-CLOiD-Image-3.avif?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> LG’s CLOiD is a robot housekeeper on wheels, not legs. The company says it’s developing a robot foundation model by training hundreds of CLOiDs in home environments. | Image: LG </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">The idea of humanoid robots running our homes has been the stuff of science fiction for years. But unlike hoverboards and self-tying sneakers, a robot housekeeper has never felt close to rolling into our homes. Until now. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This has been the year of the humanoid robot. At CES, there were <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/855329/rosey-robot-roomba-ces-2026">dozens of human-shaped bots</a> on the show floor, a handful <a href="https://www.theverge.com/featured-video/860104/we-tried-to-get-humanoid-robots-to-do-the-laundry">designed for homes</a>. US-based robotics company 1X has already put its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3c4mQty_so&amp;vl=en">$20,000 Neo robot into homes</a> to do housework (with <em>a lot</em> of remote assistance); and this week at the IFA tech show in Berlin, around half a dozen humanoids, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/986167/china-humanoid-robot-games-race">mostly from China</a>, will <a href="https://www.ifa-berlin.com/programme/robots_on_the_runway">take to a catwalk</a> to show off the alarming (?) accele …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/987756/humanoid-robot-butlers-lg-cloid-smart-home-ifa">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>