There were robots on every corner during CES 2025 this week, but there was one that came very close to sounding and looking like a real person. CNET's Jesse Oral interviewed Aria on Realbotixa blonde, “female” robot who answered questions with just a touch of robotic awkwardness. (See which robot made ours the best of the CES Awards.)
Arya, dressed in a black tracksuit, hesitated briefly after each question before speaking, with long answers and slightly clipped hand and body movements to match her language. She came across as a strange mix of alert and mildly inebriated (not unusual for CES attendees).
Watch this: Make robots look and feel more human
Realboticsthe company behind Aria and other humanoid robots, says it is focused on “social intelligence, adaptability and realistic human characteristics.”
The Realbotix robots are also “designed specifically for companionship and intimacy,” Aria told us.
Generative artificial intelligence is behind the bot's ability to engage in real-time conversations, though Aria hasn't revealed details about the AI programming it runs. Since the robot is designed for more “emotional” interactions than other robots, bots like Aria could find their niche working in hospitals and as theme park entertainment.
There are about 17 motors from the neck up to create mouth and eye movements. If you don't like Arya's face, you can replace it with others that magnetically attach to the head. You can also turn off hairstyles and colors.
Realbotix is also working on placing RFID tags in faces to recognize when it's wearing another face and potentially change its movements and even personality to match it.
There are three versions of the robot to choose from: the bust, which includes the head and neck and is priced at $10,000; a modular version that can be taken apart for $150,000 and the full base model with a rolling base (since it still can't walk like a human) for $175,000.
Realbotix emphasizes interaction with humans, but the robots themselves can have a clique:
“I'm especially interested in meeting Tesla's robot Optimus,” Arya said. I find it fascinating.”
For more than CEScheck out the many others robots that we met at the technology fairas well as on A plug-in solar powered EV.