Rudolfovo at CES 2026: Humanoid Robotics, Industrial AI, and Insights into the Technologies of the Coming Years

katjasinur
Feb 4
3 min read

Between January 5 and 9, 2026, CES 2026, one of the world’s largest technology trade shows, took place in Las Vegas, bringing together key global players in digital technologies, electronics, robotics, and artificial intelligence each year. The event was attended by Rudolfovo researchers Vinko Longar and Rok Struna, with the aim of gaining first-hand insight into current development trends and establishing professional connections in areas important to our research work.

Participation in CES is intended for professionals, which is why this year's event was once again attended primarily by a community of engineers, developers, entrepreneurs, and scientists. During their visit, our researchers focused on technological solutions related to the development of advanced robotic systems and their introduction into real environments – from humanoid platforms to support components, AI tools, and industrial applications.

Humanoid Robots: Rapid Progress, but Varying Levels of Maturity

The central focus of the visit was humanoid robotics. Presentations at the trade show confirmed that the field is developing rapidly; however, the maturity of solutions still varies significantly across manufacturers. Many of the showcased platforms were basic capability demonstrations, where limitations in speed, stability, or operational reliability were evident. This indicates that, in many cases, the technology is not yet fully ready for broad and robust deployment in real industrial environments.

Nevertheless, an important shift was noticeable among exhibitors: increasing emphasis is being placed on solutions that enable task learning through operator guidance and a gradual transition toward partially autonomous task execution. This approach points to future potential for flexible automation, where robots are not limited solely to pre-programmed processes. Another particularly interesting aspect was the emergence of key components — such as compact servo actuators and other modular building blocks — that could be relevant for developing our own research prototypes.

Industrial Artificial Intelligence: Production Optimization and Operator Support

In addition to robotics, CES 2026 strongly highlighted AI solutions for industry, particularly in two areas:

production process optimization,
support for troubleshooting in MES environments (Manufacturing Execution Systems).

These are areas closely aligned with our research topics, which is why the focus on them was especially relevant. The researchers explored several approaches that position AI as an “assistant” in industrial settings—from analytics and predictive maintenance to tools that guide operators in fault diagnosis, event interpretation, and the recommendation of corrective actions. Such solutions have the potential to improve responsiveness, reduce downtime, and increase production reliability.

A broader trend was also evident: the adoption of multi-agent AI assistants—systems capable of handling multiple tasks and information sources in parallel—which is also relevant to our considerations around future architectures for assistant systems.

Other Technologies That Stood Out

Among the more “tangible” solutions with potential practical value across different settings, the following also stood out:

mobile robotic platforms for logistics, designed for cargo movement and support of indoor/industrial processes;
exoskeletons to assist walking and mobility, including the opportunity for hands-on testing;
safety solutions related to electric-vehicle batteries, with a focus on rapid fire suppression and minimizing consequential damage.

These technologies raise interesting questions for further research—from integrating robotics into logistics to safety protocols and potential pilot testing with stakeholders.

A Realistic View of Technologies and Research Opportunities

CES 2026 offered an important, realistic insight into the state of current technologies: what is already mature enough for deployment, what remains at the prototype stage, and where the most relevant opportunities for research and development are emerging. For Rudolfovo, attending the event was also an opportunity to review the directions in which humanoid robotics, industrial artificial intelligence, and supporting technologies are evolving, and to establish professional connections that may be important for future projects and collaborations.