LG's Laundry-Folding Home Robot Made Its Debut at CES. We Saw It in Action

Robots that perform those dreaded domestic chores — unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, cooking — are still far from a reality for the average homemaker. That said, LG may have gotten us all a step closer to that shared dream this year at CES 2026.

The brand’s first-ever AI-enabled home robot, named CLOiD (we’re guessing it’s a mashup of Claude and Chloe), was on display for the first time at CES 2026. Many from CNET’s ground team were on hand for a sneak peek at the life-size robot home helper in action.

In a somewhat controlled environment at LG’s massive smart home display at the Las Vegas Convention Center, we saw CLOiD perform several common household tasks. While we all agreed that some of its programmed actions were more useful to the average person than others, almost all were executed without failure. 

Folding laundry went well, but slowly

One of ClOiD’s most popular tricks was folding laundry. It did so slowly, methodically and somewhat sloppily. The robot approached a cotton dish towel that had been laid out for it. Using careful movements, the robot’s arms lifted the sides of the towel, folding them over several times, which took about 30 seconds in total, and then placed it aside, ready for the next towel. 

It folded several others but was unable to reach into the small hamper. Each towel was laid out individually by an attendant. 

CLOiD did some light baking

Posing as CLOiD’s owner, an LG rep asked for a croissant. Within seconds, the oven opened, and the robot slid toward a tray sitting on the counter holding a croissant. The robot picked up the tray with both hands, moved toward the oven and placed the tray inside to be warmed. Notably, the oven never closed.

CLOiD also fetched a drink. Well, sort of…

When it was asked to fetch a drink, the nearby fridge opened and the robot fetched a jug of milk, placing it on the counter but notably not pouring it into a glass. As the saying goes, “you can lead a robot to milk, but you can’t make it pour.”

CLOiD assigned tasks to other smart home devices 

One of the most compelling and unexpected events happened when CLOiD was passing across the floor. The robot “noticed” an apparent patch of dirt on the floor and commanded its apparent employee, LG’s robot vacuum, to clean it up. Not wanting to risk its job (in this economy?!), the subservient robot vacuum complied.

CLOiD could mark a turning point

While CLOiD is still a concept with no release plan, the event marks a tipping point. LG, a leading home appliance brand, entering the space could prompt other blue-chip appliance brands to enter the fast-emerging multifunctional home robot market.

According to the company, the CLOiD is an AI-powered home robot that purports to do far more than vacuum, mop or pick up socks. While existing home robots are engineered to perform tasks such as floor cleaning, pool and lawn care, the CLOiD uses AI and vision-based technology to automate more complex household tasks, such as “retrieving milk from the fridge, placing a croissant in the oven for breakfast and folding and stacking garments after laundering.”

A rep from LG tells us the CLOiD is designed to perform and coordinate household tasks across connected home appliances using LG’s ThinQ ecosystem. This means you’ll need LG appliances for it to function as a go-between that executes several mundane daily tasks. 

“CLOiD is intended to reduce the time and physical effort required for everyday chores,” LG said in a statement on Sunday.

How CLOiD is designed

“The LG CLOiD consists of a head unit, torso with two articulated arms and a wheeled base equipped with autonomous navigation. The torso can tilt to adjust its height, enabling the robot to pick up objects from knee level and above,” LG said.

Each arm has seven degrees of freedom, matching the mobility of a human arm. The shoulder, elbow and wrist allow forward, backward, rotational and lateral motion, while each hand includes five independently actuated fingers for fine manipulation. This configuration allows the robot to handle a wide range of household objects and operate in kitchens, laundry rooms and living areas.

The wheeled base uses autonomous driving technology derived from LG’s experience with robot vacuums and the LG Q9. The build was selected for stability, safety and cost-effectiveness, with a low center of gravity that reduces the risk of tipping if a child or pet makes contact.

CLOiD’s head serves as a mobile AI home hub

The head serves as a central intelligent control center for the household. It houses a chipset acting as LG CLOiD’s central processor, along with a display, speaker, cameras, multiple sensors and voice-powered generative AI. Together, these components enable the robot to interact with people using natural speech and expressive visual cues. It can also understand their home environments and daily routines, and autonomously manage connected appliances based on what it learns.

Integration with ThinQ and ThinQ On

CLOiD’s capabilities expand significantly through its integration with LG’s smart home ecosystem, including the AI home platform ThinQ and hub ThinQ On. This connectivity allows CLOiD to orchestrate a wider range of services across LG’s various appliances.

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