LAS VEGAS — Screw the electric toothbrushes and the smart-wearable-AR iPhone cases. We only care about robots now.

Well, also dinosaurs and lasers, but at least one of those is definitely not at CES this year.

Last night’s big event at CES was the Pepcom Digital Experience. For some reason, this gadget tradeshow-within-a-tradeshow had a Wizard of Oz theme. We got to make friends with a wicked witch; it was great. There were lots of little people dressed as Munchkins and Dorothies in truly half-assed Dorothy costumes. Whatever.

The only important parts were the robots. There were four robotics companies at Pepcom this year if you don’t count Roomba clones. We don’t.

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No more talking! ROBOTS NOW!

These things are so cute — maybe an inch in diameter. They buzz and glow, tracing paths around tablets and physical tracks on their tiny wheels. They’re meant to be raced in pairs.
This jumping robot toy freaked the bejesus out of us. It was rolling around, minding its own business, then BAM! It was on a four-foot-tall platform that looked like a kitty condo. Note: Might be a good alternative to those stupid bald cats for people who are allergic but want a jumping-type pet. Also, it’s tablet/smartphone controlled and features Wi-Fi and an onboard camera that sends video back to the controller device.
These electronic recreation products are a drone (top) and a skateboard (bottom). They’re both lightweight. We got to ride around the expo hall on the motorized skateboard. We described the experience as “hella fun” and “a gigglefest in the making.” Company rep Shan Philips pointed out that the board is also a practical option for urban commuters and college students.
This is the newest, heavy-duty Roomba bot. It is, according to the spokesdude at the Roomba booth, intended to clean up layers of disgusting crap off your floor. “Like if you’re a serial killer, all the blood and guts?” we asked. Bless his heart, he didn’t skip a beat. We also identified large dogs and small children as possible causes for filthy floors.

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