Imagine a world where robots handle all your household chores, from cooking dinner to folding laundry. Sounds like a dream, right? But here’s where it gets controversial: while we’ve already welcomed robots that vacuum floors and mow lawns, there’s one task they’ve yet to conquer—laundry. This year at CES, companies like LG, SwitchBot, and Boston Dynamics unveiled humanoid robots promising to tackle this complex, multi-step chore. LG’s CLOiD, for instance, claims to prep meals and load washing machines, while SwitchBot’s Onero H1 aims to simplify everyday tasks. Yet, the question remains: are these robots truly up to the challenge, or is the future of smart home tech better suited to smaller, single-purpose devices? And this is the part most people miss: laundry isn’t just about loading a machine—it’s sorting, folding, and carrying, too. The Verge decided to put these bold claims to the test on the CES show floor, enlisting senior smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to investigate. Along the way, she chats with industry leaders like the president of Roborock and the CEO of Zeroth, a humanoid startup, to uncover whether this trend is the next big thing or just CES hype. Watch the video and ask yourself: How much are you willing to let robots take over? Here’s the bold question: Are humanoid robots the future of household chores, or are we better off with simpler, task-specific machines? Share your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your take on this heated debate!
