ACCESS Home robots are coming faster than you think, with Sunday's Tony Zhao
Jan 22, 2026
Tony Zhao, founder of Sunday Robotics and creator of the household robot Memo, joins the conversation about the future of home robotics. He discusses the critical role of real-world data in robotics development, showcasing his innovative Memory Glove for training robots. Zhao emphasizes the importance of making robots feel like helpful companions rather than threats. He predicts that consumer-ready home robots will emerge in the next five years, highlighting their potential to save time on chores and enhance daily life.
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Design Robots To Be Familiar, Not Fearsome
- Sunday positions robots as helpers, not threatening humanoids, to earn consumer trust.
- Tony Zhao argues design choices like a friendly face make robots more approachable in homes.
Data Beats Rules For Real-World Robotics
- Sunday treats diverse, high-quality data as the primary path past brittle rule-based robotics.
- Tony says with enough data, neural models replace extensive hand-coded rules.
Scaling Occurs By Tasks Then Price
- Tony expects home robots to scale by increasing tasks handled and lowering hardware costs.
- He predicts neighbor-level adoption within five years as capability and price improve.