By ShineGlobal | On-site Reporting at CES 2026
As the annual barometer of the global technology industry, CES has always served as a “first-launch stage” for cutting-edge technologies.
When asked about this year’s key themes at CES, Gary Shapiro, Executive Chairman and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), stated candidly: “It is very clearly human-centered AI applications.”
Analysts at Huatai Securities pointed out that the core theme of this year’s CES may be shifting away from traditional consumer electronics showcases toward system-level technological transformation centered on AI.
Another noteworthy trend is that Chinese companies are increasingly moving to center stage. According to official data, the total number of exhibitors at this year’s CES exceeded 4,000, with 942 Chinese companies participating—accounting for approximately 22% of the total and maintaining China’s position as the second-largest exhibiting country globally. In certain niche sectors, Chinese companies have already become the dominant force. For example, among the 38 humanoid robot exhibitors, 21 are from China, representing 55%; among the 23 AI smart glasses brands, 16 are Chinese, accounting for nearly 70%.
Multiple international media outlets have also paid close attention to the performance of Chinese companies at CES. Nikkei Asia listed Chinese exhibits as must-see highlights, while South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo bluntly stated that exhibition areas once dominated by Samsung and LG are now increasingly occupied by Chinese technology and companies.
Next, ShineGlobal presents representative products we observed at CES 2026—some that may lead future trends, some that are novel and entertaining, and others that boldly expand the imagination.
Chinese Robots Take Center Stage at CES
The year 2026 may mark a new phase of execution capability for humanoid robots.
Huatai Securities believes that Chinese manufacturers continue to lead in “cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.” Mass-produced versions of humanoid robots and core components such as dexterous hands are expected to demonstrate real operational capabilities in unstructured environments like factory production lines. At CES, Chinese brands clearly occupied a dominant position in the sector.
Unitree Robotics became a crowd favorite at CES 2025 with real-time interactions between robotic dogs and humanoid robots. At CES 2026, Unitree unveiled the more powerful Unitree H1 humanoid robot, featuring 360-degree panoramic perception and a 15 kg payload capacity—sufficient for industrial inspection scenarios. On-site, two G1 humanoid robots performed an intense boxing match, drawing large crowds of spectators.
Deep Robotics’ “X30” quadruped robot, part of the Jueying (绝影) series, has already secured a leading position in the global energy inspection market. At CES 2026, the company showcased its latest-generation Jueying X30, capable of centimeter-level positioning in GPS-denied indoor environments through autonomous navigation.
Zhiyuan Robotics’ booth attracted heavy foot traffic thanks to a humanoid robot performing energetic dance routines. Reports indicate this marked Zhiyuan’s first full-scale showcase of its entire product lineup in the U.S., including Lingxi X2, Expedition A2, and Genie G2.
Fourier Intelligence debuted its new full-size humanoid robot “Care-bot,” systematically demonstrating embodied intelligence applications in real-world scenarios such as companionship and interactive care—its first comprehensive overseas showcase.
Galaxy General Robotics centered its exhibition around “collaborative humanoid and quadruped robot operations,” presenting a full outdoor inspection workflow. The company also announced the debut of an “outdoor inspection-specialized model with a multi-sensor fusion system,” combining LiDAR and vision technologies to significantly enhance environmental adaptability. Battery life was extended to 8 hours, while maintaining a 95% generalized grasping success rate in low-light and high-interference environments.
Just one week after its Hong Kong IPO, Woan Robotics showcased the OneRo H1, a humanoid embodied intelligence robot designed specifically for real household scenarios. It can perform tasks such as meal preparation, folding clothes, and opening or closing doors and windows. The robot also integrates with SwitchBot devices such as robot vacuums, air purifiers, and humidifiers.
Shenzhen-based Wuxin Technology’s bionic panda “An’an” won a CES 2026 Innovation Award. Designed as a companion AI for elderly users and individuals with cognitive impairments, it can soothe emotions, generate reminders, and even has potential for medical certification—making it one of the few products that truly demonstrates AI’s social value.
Another Shenzhen startup, Yuling Infinite, introduced BOOBOO, an AI pet capable of flying, hovering, and proactively approaching people. Rather than merely responding to commands, BOOBOO builds emotional connections through lights, movements, and voice—resembling a mythical spirit companion.
Consumer Electronics: Continuous Innovation from Chinese Brands
In the smart glasses sector, Bank of America Securities reported that over 80% of the global smart glasses supply chain originates from China. Rough estimates suggest that 16 Chinese smart glasses companies participated in CES this year, including Alibaba, Xreal, Rokid, and RayNeo. In smart home technology, brands such as Dreame, Roborock, and Ecovacs unveiled their latest products.
Alibaba debuted its first self-developed AI glasses, the Quark AI Glasses S1, at CES 2026. Designed to balance technological performance with everyday wearability, the S1 features a lightweight architecture, with temple width of just 7.5 mm—the narrowest among comparable products globally—and a frame thickness of only 3.3 mm, 25% thinner than industry averages, making it visually close to conventional optical glasses.
Goertek introduced AI-powered smart glasses under its reference design Rubis, featuring an industry-first MCU + ISP + NPU tri-chip heterogeneous platform for significantly optimized latency and power efficiency. The glasses adopt full-color etched waveguides and an ultra-compact color light engine, include a self-developed EMG wristband for new interaction methods, and feature a modular VPU nose pad adaptable to different face shapes.
XREAL partnered with ASUS ROG to launch the ROG XREAL R1 AR glasses, the world’s first micro-OLED full-HD gaming AR glasses supporting a 240Hz refresh rate, equipped with a dedicated control dock and compatible with PCs and major gaming consoles.
Rokid unveiled the Rokid Style AI smart glasses, emphasizing ultra-light convenience at just 38.5 grams. Priced from USD 299, they are claimed to be the lightest full-feature AI glasses on the market, supporting multiple AI engines including ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Qwen, as well as integration with Google Maps and Microsoft AI Translation.
RayNeo completed the global debut of the X3 Pro Project eSIM, featuring integrated eSIM connectivity and 4G support. Without relying on a smartphone, it enables calling, multimodal AI conversations, real-time AI translation, and online music streaming.
XGIMI launched its new AI glasses brand MemoMind, officially entering the smart wearable market. Using a MicroLED + waveguide solution, MemoMind provides visual information ranging from notifications to graphical navigation and is expected to be released later this year.
Home Cleaning Robots: Still a Chinese Stronghold
Dreame Technology showcased its “Whole-Home Intelligent Ecosystem” at CES 2026, spanning smart appliances, cleaning, kitchen devices, personal care, smart gardens, and home entertainment. It also debuted embodied intelligence robot vacuums and lawn mowers. The most eye-catching reveal, however, was the Nebula Next 01 Concept car.
Roborock launched the G-Rover, a wheel-leg hybrid robot vacuum capable of autonomously cleaning stairs—marking the transition of home service robots from “2D planes” to “3D spaces.”
Ecovacs presented multi-scenario robots including the new Deebot T90 PRO OMNI, X12 series, WINBOT window-cleaning robots, GOAT lawn mowers, and the ULTRAMARINE pool robot, alongside its latest embodied intelligence R&D achievements.
Narwal introduced five robot vacuum models, three floor scrubbers, multiple vacuum cleaners, and mite-removal devices. The flagship Narwal Flow 2 features 30,000 Pa suction power, a 7,000 mAh battery, fast charging, and AI battery health management.
Vehicles Become “Moving Super Terminals”
With deeper AI integration, CES clearly shows that vehicles are no longer just transportation tools but mobile “super terminals.”
The automotive industry is transitioning from “software-defined” to “AI-defined.” Autonomous driving chips are entering an arms race, with NVIDIA and Qualcomm competing through integrated cockpit-driving solutions. Chinese automakers such as Geely and Great Wall showcased new technologies.
Geely unveiled the G-ASD (Geely Afari Smart Driving) solution, jointly developed with Qianli Zhijia, with the Lynk & Co 900 as the first model to adopt it, alongside the LYINK Flyme Auto 900 2.2.0 update.
Great Wall Motors showcased its full product lineup and core technologies, highlighting Hi4-Z architecture, semi-solid-state batteries, hydrogen fuel cell engines, and releasing ASL 2.0 intelligent agents and VLA large-scale models.
Leapmotor announced a collaboration with Qualcomm to launch the world’s first cross-domain solution powered by Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms, consolidating cockpit and driving assistance into a single SoC to reduce BOM costs without compromising safety.
Neolix released next-generation AI-driven autonomous logistics solutions and its RoboVan lineup.
Hesai Technology showcased the upgraded ATX LiDAR, featuring the Fermi C500 chip, 256 channels, 230-meter range, and doubled performance.
Black Sesame Technologies debuted its Huashan A2000, designed to empower VLM/VLA autonomous driving and cockpit AI applications.
Beyond Cars: Diverse Innovations
Segway-Ninebot launched new E-bikes, an electric off-road motorcycle, and intelligent riding systems.
Nanjing Kuailun unveiled the X4 ultra-light eVTOL, priced from USD 39,900, legally flyable in the U.S. without a pilot license or airworthiness certificate.
Ruochuang Technology introduced Strutt Ev1, an intelligent wheelchair enabling hands-free mobility for elderly and disabled users.
Hisense released next-generation RGB-Mini LED display technology, pushing TV color gamut to 110% BT.2020, and showcased AI-powered smart refrigerators.
TCL, BOE, CSOT, Tianma, Changhong, Loock, UGREEN, Edifier, and others collectively demonstrated China’s strength in displays, home appliances, audio, and smart security.
CES attracts global attention not only by showcasing cutting-edge products, but by setting the technological direction for the next 5–10 years.
At CES 2026, AI is profoundly reshaping consumer electronics. As the theme “Defining the Physical Boundaries of AI” suggests, AI is moving from papers and labs into chips, robots, vehicles, and living rooms—deeply embedding itself into real-world hardware and industrial scenarios.
AMD CEO Lisa Su noted: “The number of AI users has grown from one million to over one billion active users… and we expect it to exceed five billion, becoming as ubiquitous as smartphones and the internet.”
Chinese technology companies, leveraging the CES platform, are accelerating their global expansion.