When it comes to ideas, there is no ceiling on the imagination shown in the exhibits at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The 2016 CES expo, which opened on 6 January, has offered more than its fair share of robots, gadgets and good ideas and now the small start-ups are gaining exposure.

Relay, a delivery robot by the start-up company Savioke, was among those drawing a crowd on the floor. While lacking in personality, the sturdy device more than makes up for it with a willingness to please.

"I load the item in to Relay and I punch in your location and it will autonomously navigate your hallways and around people," said Adrian Canoso, of Savioke. "He will even get used to your elevators in your building."

An early star of this year's CES is Ninebot, a personal robot built on a Segway hoverboard. The droid, which looks as it's direct from central casting, features the ability to move around, voice recognition and streaming video technology thanks to its 3D camera.

"This is a step of progress," said Tal Ein-Gar, of Xiaomi, the maker of the robot. "This is capable of moving around and identifying stuff and it can respond to voice commands and it can stream stuff your phone."

Start-up Uraniom is offering technology that uses a 3D infra-red camera to place players right into the game, something that undoubtedly raises the enjoyment factor.

"They have fun and want to play with others, play with their friends, they want to share it − it's more fun for everyone," said Loic Ledoux, of Uranium, when asked how gamers respond when they see themselves in the game for the first time.

Other items of buzz worthiness include Teforia's personal tea-brewing system that allows you to customise your perfect cuppa and Samsung's Hub refrigerator that has a built-in camera so you can check what's in the fridge without being home.

The 2016 CES, the world's largest electronics trade show, runs until 9 January.

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CES 2016