[CES 2026] LG Home Robot 'CLOiD', Powered by Affectionate Intelligence, Declares Freedom from Housework

[비즈한국] “Hello, CLOiD!”

The star of this year’s LG Electronics 066570 CES media conference, 'LG World Premiere', was ‘CLOiD.’ When Lyu Jae-cheol, CEO of LG Electronics, greeted the robot on stage at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on the 5th (local time), the dual-armed robot, which expresses emotions through round eyes, responded in kind. CLOiD even initiated a fist bump with Steve Scarbrough, Head of ES CAC at LG Electronics USA. The crowd responded positively to the way it seemed to interact with its partners rather than just performing mechanical tasks.

On the 5th, one day before CES, LG Electronics held the ‘LG World Premiere’ to unveil its vision for ‘AI that Acts’ and a ‘Zero-Labor Home.’ The home robot ‘LG CLOiD’ is sharing a fist bump with Steve Scarbrough, Head of ES CAC at LG Electronics USA. Photo = Reporter Kang Eun-kyung

On this day, LG Electronics presented a concrete vision of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can act in the actual physical space and relieve human effort. CEO Lyu Jae-cheol, who served as the first speaker, hinted at the evolution of ‘Affectionate Intelligence,’ which the company has emphasized over the past two years. He stressed that AI must now step out of the screen and work for us in the real world.

The core of LG Electronics' future plan is ‘AI that Acts’ and a ‘Zero-Labor Home.’ This means that home appliances will no longer be mere tools but will transition into ‘Agent Appliances’ that sense, judge, and create the optimal environment for themselves without requiring additional input from the user.

On the 5th, LG Electronics CEO Lyu Jae-cheol, the first speaker at the LG World Premiere, explains the future appliance vision that will enable a zero-labor home. Photo = Reporter Kang Eun-kyung

Changing the Landscape of Housework with the Home Robot ‘CLOiD’…

CLOiD was highly anticipated by the industry as it was rumored to be unveiled at this year’s CES. CLOiD features two arms modeled after human arms and five fingers capable of picking up laundry. The lower section is equipped with a drive unit that allows for free movement indoors. According to the company, the robot implements precise movements through actuators integrated with motion technology and recognizes and responds to the surrounding environment in real-time using visual intelligence.

At this event, LG Electronics defined the home robot CLOiD not just as a machine to assist with housework, but as a ‘Home Specialized Agent.’ In the actual demonstration, CLOiD performed the role of coordinating various devices in the home, stating, “I will show you everything I can do. I will start the laundry.” When notified that the user was on their way home, CLOiD analyzed the weather forecast and the user's routine to suggest an indoor workout, and set the home environment accordingly, such as preheating the oven and adjusting the lights.

Brandt Varner, Head of HS Sales at LG Electronics USA, watches CLOiD demonstrate laundry tasks. Photo = Reporter Kang Eun-kyung

Brandt Varner, Head of HS Sales at LG Electronics USA, explained that the company is focusing on ‘Vision-Language-Action (VLA)’ research to allow robots to execute complex physical tasks even with limited data. Varner said, “Proprietary VLA research and applied science will help shape the future of robotics,” and added, “LG’s actuator lineup will provide scalable solutions for various robotic systems and industries, flexibly supporting diverse loads, motions, and operational requirements.” He explained that they are accelerating the robot's learning speed by building large-scale tactile and force datasets through collaborations with Big Tech companies.

‘Affectionate Intelligence’ Expanding into Mobility and B2B

As connectivity is enhanced, security concerns also grow. LG Electronics is putting forward its hardware-based security solution, ‘LG Shield.’ Angela Gozenfoot, Kitchen Appliance Product Manager for the HS Marketing Team at LG Electronics USA, stated, “We protect data through advanced encryption and security measures. Furthermore, by applying hardware-based keys and advanced encryption technology, we securely protect data storage and transmission across all operating systems, frameworks, apps, and networks.”