An interview-led review from the show floor
CES 2026 had no shortage of robots—but very few made us stop, crouch down, and interact. BAOBAO did. Not because it was louder, faster, or more overengineered—but because it felt intentionally designed for how people, especially kids, actually live at home.
In our conversation with the BAOBAO team, one theme kept surfacing: robots don’t need to dominate space to feel present. Instead, they need to meet people—literally—at eye level.
First Impressions: A Robot That Sits Before It Stands
When asked how they introduce BAOBAO to someone seeing it for the first time, the team didn’t lead with specs or AI buzzwords. They led with posture.
BAOBAO is designed around a sitting-first philosophy. In its default form, it sits upright, closer to human height when seated, making interaction feel more natural and less intimidating—especially for children. When needed, it transforms into a quadruped platform that can move, follow, and reposition itself around the home.
This two-form design immediately sets BAOBAO apart from traditional robot dogs or static smart devices. It’s not always “on the move,” and it’s not always looming. Instead, it adapts its body language to the moment.
That alone made it one of the more thoughtful robot designs on the CES floor.
Why Two Forms? Because Homes Aren’t Showrooms
Most home robots today commit to a single physical identity. BAOBAO intentionally doesn’t.
The team explained that robot dogs in a seated position often take up more space than expected and can feel physically distant. BAOBAO’s vertical sitting form reduces its footprint while bringing it closer to people—especially kids, who naturally interact closer to the ground.
The transformation from horizontal (quadruped) to vertical (sitting) isn’t a gimmick. It solves two real problems at once:
- Space efficiency in real homes
- Emotional proximity for younger users
This is one of those design decisions that sounds simple until you see it executed—and then it feels obvious in hindsight.
Communication Without Commands: Embodied Language in Action
BAOBAO doesn’t rely solely on explicit voice commands or rigid triggers. Instead, it uses a combination of camera input, voice recognition, and movement to respond.
The team described this as “embodied language.”
When BAOBAO stands up, its legs are free to move independently, creating expressive motion that communicates intent, emotion, and attention—almost like a half-humanoid.
Rather than constantly asking the user what to do next, BAOBAO observes, reacts, and responds through posture, motion, and sound. On the CES floor, this translated into interactions that felt less like issuing instructions—and more like being noticed.
Beyond Tasks: A Robot Designed for Everyday Moments
One of the most compelling parts of the interview came when the conversation shifted from features to purpose.
BAOBAO isn’t positioned as a single-task robot. It’s meant to live in the background of daily life—telling stories, playing songs, sharing information, and delivering what the team called “passive knowledge” to children.
The founder shared a personal detail: BAOBAO was shaped in part by watching his own daughter interact with it. That influence shows. The robot isn’t designed to optimize productivity or replace parenting—it’s designed to participate.
At CES, BAOBAO felt less like a gadget demo and more like a presence you could imagine living with.
Companion, Not Appliance
What makes BAOBAO feel more like a companion than a smart device isn’t just its AI—it’s its ability to change form. Transformation taps into something deeply human: the idea that objects around us can adapt emotionally and physically to our needs.
The team described this as a long-held human dream, and BAOBAO feels like an early but meaningful step toward that vision. It’s not trying to be everything. It’s trying to feel alive enough to matter.
The CES 2026 Takeaway
When asked what one idea they want people to remember after leaving CES, the answer was refreshingly simple:
“You’re going to want to dance with it. And you’re going to like the little stories it tells.”
That’s exactly what happened. In a sea of robots designed to impress investors or dominate spec sheets, BAOBAO focused on delight, scale, and emotional approachability.
Final Thoughts
BAOBAO doesn’t feel like the future of robots in an abstract sense. It feels like the future of robots at home—where space matters, kids matter, and interaction should feel warm, not technical.
CES 2026 was packed with ambition. BAOBAO stood out by being human about it.