CES 2019: Robots walk, talk, pour beer and take over tech show

AvatarMind has developed service robots like iPal which is based on artificial intelligence, motion control, sensors and power management, and created iPal to deliver on that vision with multiple applications for friendly, fun and functional robot assistants, shown at CES International Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, in Las Vegas. Designed for child education and elder care, iPal is a fully functional humanoid robot with a friendly, playful demeanor, as iPal runs on the Android operating system with extensions for motion, sensor and natural language conversation. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

LAS VEGAS: Robots that walk, talk, pour beer and play ping pong have taken over the CES gadget show in Las Vegas again. Just don’t expect to find one in your home any time soon. 

Most home robot ventures have failed, in part because they’re so difficult and expensive to design to a level of intelligence that consumers will find useful, says Bilal Zuberi, a robotics-oriented venture capitalist at Lux Capital. But that doesn’t keep companies from trying.