Weird, cute and vaguely menacing: Here come the robots of CES 2021

From the cuddly to the imposing to the absolutely giant, these are the robots of the all-virtual CES 2021. Whether it's the cute Moflin, the C-3PO-like Bot Handy or the poop-avoiding JetBot (above) these are the best robots from the show so far. 

Like an '80s sci-fi movie, this menacing robot monitors the halls of darkened workplaces -- but in the case of the Cloi UV-C, it's stamping out germs.

Samsung has a bumper crop of robots at CES, including the 2021 version of R2-D2 and C-3PO: Bot Care (left) and Bot Handy. The Bot Care is a "personal assistant robot" while the Bot Care is a bit more "hands-on."

What you really want is a robot butler. This dream of the future is closest to being realized by the Bot Handy. This robot can put dirty dishes in a dishwasher or pour a bottle of wine. Hopefully, just one glass at a time or I'm gonna need bigger glassware.

Could this be the first robot with a dedicated poop sensor? The JetBot avoids robotic peril by avoiding the "wet messes" Rover leaves when he's annoyed at you. The JetBot will be available in the US in the first half of the year. 

Some of those inferior robots have only one arm, but not the ITRI Dual Arm Robot System! It can play a piano and serve you a delicious soda! All in the convenience of a single room! 

Broom broom, here comes the Moorebot Scout! This palm-sized, $179 autonomous robot patrols your home with its off-roading wheels. It doesn't really do much just yet, apart from monitor with its 1080p camera, but it is programmable for STEM-based learning.

Less a robot and more a combine harvester with the best cruise control mode you can imagine, this is the John Deere X Series. It has grain tank cameras, computer vision, autonomous driving and in-field machine-to-machine communication.

I'm not the first person to make a Star Trek reference with the $400 Moflin and I won't be the last. But unlike the pesky Tribbles the Moflin doesn't reproduce exponentially -- it just sits on your lap, snuggles in and purrs.

While the Brits have partially reversed an EU ban on bee pesticides, the Koreans are trying to nurture our stripy friends -- with robots! The Hive Controller shown at CES 2021 makes extracting honey much quicker and easier.

Studio Ghibli fans: What do you get when cross Totoro and the Cat Bus? I'd wager it would end up something like the Petit Qoobo, perhaps with more teeth. Not that this robot pet needs to be any creepier -- it's basically a furry whoopee cushion with a tail. It's a little brother to last year's larger Qoobo.

The new Roborock S7 knows where to vacuum and where to mop. It features a "retractable sonic mopping element" and will cost $649 when it hits Amazon in March.