The CES Robot Debut That May Make Your Least Favorite Chore Easier

AI continues to find its way into our homes, and this time, it's promising to help with one of the favorite chores of many: folding laundry. Among the offerings at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year is the LG Humanoid CLOiD, which developers say can help a household achieve "zero labor" by taking on time-consuming chores. On the surface, it might sound like we're just that much closer to living like The Jetsons (sans flying car), but the reality isn't so clear.

Folding laundry was one of several skills demonstrated by LG CLOiD, which is meant to reduce the effort expended for chores. According to LG's press release, LG CLOiD features "AI and vision-based technology to perform household tasks like cooking and laundry." The robot can adjust its own height and uses articulated limbs to lift, fold, and stir, in addition to other laborious household tasks. LG says the robot's arms are comparable to a human's in terms of mobility, with lateral and rotational movement from shoulder to wrist, and five fingers that can operate independently. Also onboard the LG CLOid is a wheeled base, so it can move throughout your home for its chores. All of this connects to the LG ThinQ smart home platform and ecosystem, so you can use it with the company's newer washing machines, which have AI features that may make doing your laundry easier. It sounds like a dream, the idea of a robot folding laundry while you catch up on the latest reality show, but lest you think it compares to Rosie, there are a few things to know.

Can we expect the LG CLOiD to fold all your blankets, shirts, and towels as you make your home into a smart home? Not yet. Demonstrations of the robot showed that it is capable of the task, but only very slowly and with help. According to CNET, the robot approached a towel laid out, proceeding to carefully fold it for a total of 30 seconds. However, it was unable to reach for a towel from the hamper; instead, a human assistant set each towel out for it. LG's press release describes LG CLOiD as starting a laundry cycle, folding, and stacking garments after drying, but the demonstration consisted only of folding towels. Tom's Guide also points out that when done, the robot failed to stack the towels in a neat pile, negating the folding it did, with subsequent sessions taking a whole minute per towel.

The takeaway from the CES and "laundry folding robot" headlines is that it's still new technology with glitches and concerns. Although pricing information isn't available for the LG CLOiD, it will likely be over $20,000, judging by the cost of similar technology, such as Neo. There is the possibility that it could help individuals with limited mobility, but the price tag will be a barrier for most people. For now, you should grit your teeth and fold. Or, if you're just over it, consider switching to a no-fold laundry method to make things just a little easier.