AWE 2026 Showcases Physical AI with Advanced Smart Appliances and Robotics

From March 12 to 15, the 2026 China Household Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo (AWE2026) took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The event covered 13 exhibition halls and spanned over 140,000 square meters, attracting more than 1,000 exhibitors from both domestic and international markets. This year’s AWE focused on Physical AI as its central theme.

Major companies, including Alibaba, TCL, Dreame Technology, Gree, and Hisense, showcased physical intelligent devices capable of mobility, grasping, perception, and interaction. Dreame Technology occupied the E7 hall, displaying a comprehensive range of products such as smart vehicles, AI smartphones, a stair-climbing vacuuming robot, an all-purpose home caretaker robot, a folding clothes robot, and storage cabinets.

The founder and CEO of Dreame Technology, Yu Hao, stated that the company invests more than three times its competitors in R&D annually, currently employing around 20,000 research and management professionals, with expectations to grow to 50,000 by the end of 2026.

Tesla showcased its humanoid robot, Optimus, while Strong Brain Technology demonstrated a bionic dexterous hand capable of screwing in a lightbulb with a precision of 0.1mm and a grip strength of 5 kg. Aoshare Intelligence displayed a waist exoskeleton.

Dreame Technology launched its first AI bionic companion robot, Maotuan’er, shaped like a Maltese dog and priced at 3,999 yuan. This robot features a high-definition wide-angle camera for gesture recognition and touch sensors that trigger tail wagging and hand rubbing responses. It also introduced the Eight Realms housekeeping robot, equipped with an OpenClaw gripper for three-dimensional object storage.

Roborock unveiled the G-Rover, a wheeled vacuum robot designed with a dual-wheel leg structure suitable for complex home layouts like duplexes and villas. Haier introduced the Haitian series of home service robots, which include cleaning, companionship, and household chores. The companion robot is equipped with features for reminding elderly users to take their medication and monitoring for falls.

Gree Electric displayed a dual-arm smart flexible operation robot, featuring a six-axis design for flexible force control, capable of dynamic pressure adjustments to the millimeter level. It even demonstrated its ability to write the character “马” (horse) on-site. Additionally, Gree presented a multi-modal perception robot that integrates visual, tactile, and force feedback to handle delicate items like tofu without damage.

ASD showcased a humanoid robot, while its majority-owned company, Qianjiang Robotics, has invested billions in smart manufacturing, advancing the collaboration between robots and kitchen appliances to create a closed-loop ecosystem for ingredient processing and healthy cooking management.

Robam Appliances introduced AI cooking glasses that utilize a gourmet model to identify ingredients like pork belly and tenderloin, providing AR interface prompts to add salt or flip items while simultaneously controlling the range hood and stove settings.

Fotile displayed its intelligent COOK system, which integrates heterogeneous robots and high-precision robotic arms to automate cooking processes. Itstone Technology presented the A1 robot, which achieved a Guinness World Record by assembling 105 sub-millimeter wire harnesses in one hour. Magic Atom showcased its humanoid robot, MagicBot Gen1, alongside the quadruped robot, MagicDog Y1.

TCL collaborated with Amap to launch the Tianbird Smart Life application, utilizing AR spatial computing for sandbox navigation and quick searches. Alibaba‘s Qianwen AI glasses G1 went on sale on March 8 and sold out within three hours in some channels. JD.com gathered over 60 types of robots and launched its Smart Robot Industry Acceleration 2.0 plan, providing support for the JoyAI large model and standardized battery solutions.

Yushu Technology introduced the JD.com customized version of the R1 humanoid robot in blue and white. Mirror Vision Technology presented the BaoBao robot, which can switch between humanoid and dog forms. JD.com reported that more than 200 smart robot brands have joined its platform, aiming to help partners achieve 10 billion yuan in revenue by 2026.

QingTian Rent showcased its commercial deployment solutions for robots, including ZhiYuan LingXi X2 and YuanZheng A2. CEO Li Yiyan emphasized that the rental model lowers user entry barriers, transforming robots from display items into practical tools, with inquiries already received from shopping malls and cultural tourism clients.

AI algorithms and perception systems are deeply enhancing traditional home appliances. Gree displayed its Star Chef Steam and Bake Multi-Function Machine (equipped with AI aroma technology), AI Cool King Air Conditioner (utilizing AI dynamic energy-saving technology), and Pearl Refrigerator (which identifies over 200 types of food using AI visual sensors). The AI Cool King wall unit features a smart home hub that integrates Gree’s self-developed AI home appliance model, enabling autonomous perception and coordination among all household appliances, lighting, and security devices.

TCL showcased its flagship television, the TCL X11L, which uses SQD-Mini LED technology, along with the P7 Ultra AI Health Sleep Air Conditioner and the P9 Ultra AI Super Drum Washer-Dryer. Lu Chunshui, President of TCL’s China operations, noted that current AI home appliances focus on addressing real pain points, exemplified by the integration of the Fuxi large model with the TSR AI independent image quality chip and cloud-end collaborative architecture, which enables real-time recognition of visual content and optimal algorithm adjustments based on the viewing environment.

Changhong displayed its RGB-Mini LED television, the T70S, and the RGB ambient light wall painting television, Q70S, featuring emotional AI interactions that support custom video startup and one-click screen sharing. Hisense Visual has created a comprehensive AI system encompassing sound and image customization, multi-modal natural interaction, generative AI desktops, Super Smart Agents, and a Geek Audio-Visual Center, advancing television into a smart home hub.

Vatti showcased its steam-bake integrated machine with “moisture control cooking” and “AI cooking” technologies, dynamically adjusting parameters via intelligent humidity sensors. Vanward Electric presented products featuring AI heating core precision control technology, which manages fluctuations in shower water temperature. The fourth-generation small round dot supports voice temperature adjustments in bathrooms and has an elder-friendly interface.

UGREEN Technology featured its AI NAS application ecosystem and the newly launched iDX series AI NAS, equipped with LLM language models. Zhou Kaijie, Director of UGREEN’s AI Smart Lab, noted that the AI NAS aims to enhance the intelligence and convenience of NAS usage, extending the AI security ecosystem from digital asset protection to physical space safety.

Mousse Holdings launched the HarmonyOS Smart Selection Mousse Smart Bed Pro H-Design, featuring a digital base with Star Flash technology for millisecond-level response and stable connectivity to smartphones within 35 meters, supporting holistic smart home control.