(Yicai) Jan. 8 -- At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Chinese consumer robotics firms are showcasing product upgrades that tap artificial intelligence, including a stair-climbing vacuum and a lawnmower with robotic arms.

Dreame Technology’s new embodied-AI lawn-mowing robot can recognize over 300 common yard items and grab and store them. The Suzhou-based company has also brought along an embodied-AI pool-cleaning robot that can identify debris and stains in hard-to-reach corners and independently carry out actions such as grasping and wiping.

Roborock Technology’s stair-climbing robot vacuum can autonomously scale staircases while cleaning each step along the way, while Ecovacs’ smart pet robot, featuring multimodal perception and pet-like behaviors, can interact emotionally with users and offers a new form of companionship.

The upgraded robots on display at the CES aim to address consumer pain points, said Cai Ling, global home appliances strategic client director for China at NIQ GfK, a consumer intelligence giant. By leveraging AI, they are tailored to meet the needs of different niche markets, he told Yicai.

The cleaning-appliance upgrades unveiled at the CES focus on boosting cleaning efficiency, broadening use scenarios, and reducing reliance on human intervention, while also actively exploring applications of embodied intelligence, an analyst at market research firm AVC said.

However, these products are still some way from generating real commercial value, and their future market success will depend on how effectively they solve practical user problems, the analyst pointed out.

On the rapid pace of product iteration, the analyst said companies must keep innovating to gain a competitive edge, especially now that robot vacuums no longer receive government subsidies in China and face greater uncertainties in overseas markets.

Global competition among robot vacuum makers will hinge on AI technology and integration with broader home ecosystems, said Zhao Siquan, senior analyst at International Data Corporation China. Product innovation and ecosystem integration will be decisive factors in their competitiveness, he added.

IRobot, the US producer of the famous Roomba robot vacuums, is skipping this year’s CES as it struggles to steady operations following a bankruptcy filing and an agreed takeover by its largest creditor, Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics. IRobot has struggled amid growing competition from Chinese rivals.
 

CES 2026 opened yesterday and runs through tomorrow.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione