Clever robots are dancing to a new tune at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The trend-setting tech fest hosted a collection of innovative robotic companies keen to show off numerous intelligent, autonomous machines.
Sopo, a butler robot created by US-based Opobotics, is one of the shining stars.
Aside from raiding your fridge, Sopo can be programmed using a graphical user interface.
That means anyone can tailor the robot's capabilities, whether they are educational, helpful or entertaining.
Kevin Shah, marketing manager for Opobotics, says the robots can do more and more day by day.
"Many people state that it's never going to happen, that they can take the place of humans. But day by day, with the newer technology available to us, it is coming to that point."
At this year's CES, robotic exhibits have grown by 25 percent, covering nearly 800 square metres of event space.
It's a hint that robot tech may be finally ready to hit the mainstream.
However, Matt Burns from TechCrunch does urge some caution.
"I think we're at a point where the term robot is a catch all, actually, where maybe five years ago it would've been called a machine but now it's a robot. So some of the smaller guys might not necessarily be a robot in the general sense of the term but still offers a whole lot of new functions that you've never seen before."
Robot-making isn't just for tech experts. Many robots at CES have been created strictly for fun.
That's because in recent years interactive, customizable droids have become even easier to program.
One of the most intriguing robots on display is 'Jibo', dubbed as the 'world's first family-friendly robot'.
Jibo can tell stories to children or remind their busy parents of upcoming appointments, as well as take pictures during family events.
Future versions will accommodate a tele-presence avatar, allowing users to communicate.
Dr. Cynthia Breazeal is the CEO of Jibo.
"The thing that's so exciting about Jibo is that it's really thinking about robots as a platform for human engagement and for content. Bringing content to life in this whole new way around this different level of personal emotional engagement."
Jibo is set to make a full public release in the summer next year.
During this year's CES, more than 3,500 exhibitors including big tech companies like Sony, Samsung and LG, have taken part in the event to show their latest technologies.
For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.
