Once the domain of science fiction, autonomous robots—think C-3PO from Star Wars or Baymax from Big Hero 6—are getting closer by the year. At 2025’s CES electronics conference, there were a handful of humanoids, none of which seemed to catch the world’s attention. At January’s conference, robots, including Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, a 6-foot-2-inch automaton weighing in at just under 200 pounds with a digital smiley face, were the stars.