News and Notes

CES 2026 and the History of Humanoid Robots: Elektro the Robot

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, companies presented humanoid robots designed to move, gesture, and interact using AI-driven systems. Demonstrations included dancing, folding laundry, and basic conversational exchange.

In 1939, Elektro the Robot was introduced to the public as a performing humanoid. Built for exhibition, Elektro spoke, told jokes, and appeared on stage, offering early public encounters with a machine designed to be experienced rather than used.

Later this year, Elektro will be installed at his new home at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum, located inside the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.

As humanoid robotics continues to enter public view, Elektro’s installation provides historical grounding for ongoing conversations about how people meet machines in shared space.

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Read the full event coverage : Humanoid robots and physical AI dominate CES 2026 (Reuters)