Zeroth wants to sell you a robot to follow you around your house

New personal robots include a $5,599 tracked home robot and a $2,899 humanoid companion

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In brief: Zeroth, a startup pushing the boundaries between consumer robotics and artificial intelligence, is introducing two personal robots to the US market. The company's new models, the W1 and M1, bring together navigation technology, computer vision, and generative AI in home-friendly designs.

While Zeroth's WALL-E-style robot, previously offered in China under a licensed Disney design, remains unavailable outside that market, the W1 offers a similar dual-tread approach built for practical terrain handling rather than nostalgia.

The US version drops the yellow chassis and expressive eyes in favor of a more utilitarian exterior, but it carries over the same tracked mobility system designed for movement across varied surfaces such as grass, gravel, and light slopes.

The W1 weighs 44 pounds and can carry loads of up to 110 pounds. Powered by lidar, RGB cameras, and proximity sensors, it maps its environment in real time, adjusting its route to avoid obstacles while maintaining stability.

Despite its mechanical heft, the bot moves deliberately – with a top speed of roughly 1.1 miles per hour – and stands just under two feet tall at 22.6 inches. Its functions are limited but designed for assistive use cases: it can transport household items, follow users autonomously, host simple games, and capture photographs via a 13-megapixel camera.

At a retail price of $5,599, Zeroth positions the W1 as a home service robot rather than a novelty toy.

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The company is also debuting the M1, a compact humanoid machine measuring 15 inches tall and priced from $2,899. Where the W1 emphasizes transport and navigation, the M1 is focused on interaction.

The M1 runs Google's Gemini AI model, enabling it to conduct short conversations, deliver reminders, and recognize potential falls or emergencies. Zeroth pitches it as a digital companion suited for desk or floor use, capable of self-righting after toppling in either position. With approximately two hours of active battery life, the M1 automatically returns to its docking station when power runs low.

Both robots are expected to be available for preorder in the US in the first quarter of this year. Zeroth, which has not yet disclosed a broader retail strategy, is betting that improvements in small-scale autonomy and conversational AI will give these machines a place in domestic settings where most robots have yet to gain a foothold.