AWE2026 Opens: Focusing on AI Technology and Presenting New Achievements in Industrial Upgrading
On March 12, the 2026 China Household Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo (AWE2026), hosted by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, officially kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone. Under the theme of "AI Technology, Smartly Enjoy the Future", this year's expo has gathered over 1,200 top domestic and international enterprises. With an exhibition area of 170,000 square meters, it showcases the latest achievements in the global smart living field.
Image source: AWE
From the increasingly mature smart home scene ecosystem to the emerging tracks such as embodied intelligence and smart mobility that are accelerating their development, from the continuous breakthroughs in AI technology to the full implementation of various intelligent terminals and AI hardware, AWE2026 is not only an annual event where cutting - edge technologies are showcased, but also an important window to observe the booming development of China's new - quality productivity and to gain insights into the new trends of the global household appliances and consumer electronics industries.
At the critical juncture of the start of the 15th Five - Year Plan, AWE2026 is conveying China's industrial innovation momentum and future direction to the world with a broader display area, more cutting - edge innovation achievements, and more diverse scene presentations.
Break Industrial Boundaries, AI Outlines a New Blueprint for Future Life in a Panoramic View
As the main exhibition area of AWE2026, the Shanghai New International Expo Centre covers 13 exhibition halls. With an exhibition scale of over 140,000 square meters, it has gathered more than 1,000 domestic and international exhibitors. For the second consecutive year, AWE has placed "AI technology" at the core of the exhibition theme, reflecting AWE's continuous judgment on the main line of industrial development. AWE2026 uses AI as the underlying driving force to promote the accelerated upgrading of product forms and application scenarios.
Meanwhile, AWE is also constantly expanding its scope, promoting the resonance of the household appliances and consumer electronics industries with fields such as robot manufacturing, new - energy mobility, and AI applications, and further building a new cross - border and integrated exhibition ecosystem.
Image source: AWE
The exhibition highlights of major exhibitors at AWE2026 show distinct AI features. Empowered by in - depth AI algorithms and perception systems, AI household appliances have become intelligent terminals capable of active recognition, active judgment, and active service.
Haier Smart Home unveiled the Seeker smart appliance suite. As the world's first L4 - level intelligent home appliance suite, the Seeker suite is equipped with AI Eye 2.0 technology, demonstrating the infinite possibilities of smart living with its technological innovation, unmanned housework, and borderless ecosystem.
Gree displayed a variety of AI household appliances, including the Star Chef Steam - Baking Multi - Function Machine equipped with AI fragrance - smelling technology that can actively sense the original flavor of ingredients, and the Ai Cool King air conditioner using AI dynamic energy - saving technology.
Siemens presented the Venus dishwasher equipped with a new AI intelligent sensing engine, which can intelligently match the best parameters according to the types of personal tableware and is a thinking dish - washing partner.
Robam brought the Robam AI Digital Kitchen Appliance i1 Pro suite. All products in the suite are equipped with Robam's God of Cookery AI cooking large model, enabling multiple products to work together to achieve automatic open - flame cooking.
The "robotization" of household appliances is another major trend at AWE2026. Household service robots with mechanical arms and the ability to move in complex spaces have begun to appear in large numbers.
Stone Technology launched the G - Rover wheel - legged sweeping robot with a dual - wheel - leg structure that can independently cross complex terrains; MOVA brought the "flying" sweeping robot Pilot 70 equipped with a commercial - grade drone power system for three - dimensional space cleaning; Ecovacs and Dreame achieved technological breakthroughs in niche tracks such as all - in - one base window - cleaning robots and intelligent pool - cleaning robots respectively. In the kitchen scenario, FOTILE publicly displayed the world's first cooking robot kitchen for the first time, achieving unmanned cooking through the close cooperation of high - precision mechanical arms and humanoid robots.
Image source: AWE
The continuous iteration of cutting - edge display technologies is constantly breaking the visual limits of picture quality.
At this year's AWE, global display giants have unveiled disruptive technologies, reshaping the high - end audio - visual standards. Sony will publicly present the picture - quality demonstration of its new - generation RGB LED TV for the first time globally at AWE.
Hisense's 116UX, as a representative of the new - generation RGB - Mini LED, has achieved an improvement in color gamut through the world - first "Linglong 4 - core True - Color Backlight"; TCL's SQD - Mini LED TV X11L is the industry's first flagship product equipped with SQD - Mini LED technology; LG's UltraGear 5K2K OLED gaming monitor is equipped with the world's first batch of 39 - inch W - OLED RGB Tandem panels, creating an immersive viewing experience without motion blur for players.
AWE2026 has attracted a group of technology companies focusing on the field of embodied intelligence, which are making a concentrated appearance in the newly established "Innovative Technology Exhibition Area".
Unitree brought the G1 humanoid robot and the Go2 quadruped robot and set up a boxing ring on the booth to showcase the excellent control ability of its robots; Magic Atom displayed the Z1 biped robot and the "head - tail linked" MagicDog, demonstrating its commercial delivery ability worth over 100 million yuan; Zeroth brought the full - size robot Jupiter equipped with a dedicated world model and the household biped robot M1; Zhishen Technology focused on special high - risk industries and launched the most durable "Gangbeng" quadruped robot; Tashi Zhihang displayed the world's first embroidery robot A1 capable of performing "needle" skills for the first time offline.
In addition, Tesla's humanoid robot also made a stunning appearance at AWE.
AI not only enables robots to step out of the laboratory but also reshapes the interaction relationship between humans and technology.
At this expo, many AI products targeting specific needs were on display. In the field of video conferencing and office, the Insta360 8K panoramic camera X5 with a unique perspective, the Qianwen AI glasses connected to the Qianwen large model, the world's smallest mass - producible full - color MicroLED waveguide AR glasses Thunderbird X3 Pro, the future - intelligent iFlytek AI conference headset equipped with the viaim brain, and the AfterShokz OpenFit Pro that combines open listening and intelligent noise filtering are reshaping the boundaries of productivity in a combination of hardware and software.
In the health and outdoor scenarios, the Yinyue AI perception ring can accurately perceive emotions; the BleeqUp four - in - one sports glasses, the Xinglu Future Phoenix exoskeleton, and the Airwheel intelligent suitcase have become the "weight - reducing magic equipment" for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition, the Haloasis holographic speaker and the Enya Music Cyber G cyber guitar integrate digital technology into music equipment, bringing a different audio - visual experience.
Image source: AWE
With the intelligentization of transportation tools such as cars and electric vehicles, the travel scenario is becoming an important part of smart living. Several leading new - energy vehicle manufacturers made an appearance at AWE2026.
At the Huawei booth, Hongmeng Smart Mobility will display multiple models of its Wenjie, Zhijie, Xiangjie, Zunjie, and Shangjie brands, demonstrating the seamless transfer between the car and home in the Hongmeng ecosystem. Tesla will display multiple models such as the Cyber Off - Road Traveler and the Model Y L, and will also showcase energy products such as the V4 Supercharger. BYD continued to participate in the exhibition after its debut at AWE last year, displaying a series of models of its Denza and Fangchengbao brands, and presenting its core self - developed fast - charging technology and the Tian Shen Zhi Yan assisted - driving system and other advantageous products and services.
New car - making forces such as Skyworth and Xingkong Mengwu will also display new cars, and the first super - car of KOSMERA, a car brand under Dreame, will make its debut at the expo. NAVEE will build a three - dimensional travel network, displaying multi - form products such as E - bikes, all - terrain vehicles, and sea - surface flying vehicles; its first - drive SKYMOTOR brand will debut the world's first "embodied intelligent electric motorcycle". Ninebot will launch its new electric scooter MAX G3, creating a new urban travel experience.
Technology Enables a Smart Life, a Series of Consumption - Promotion Activities Launched Simultaneously
With the full opening of the expo, a series of consumption - promotion activities of AWE2026 were launched both inside and outside the exhibition hall today.
The "Launch Ceremony of the National Household Appliance, Digital and Smart Product Consumption Season" will be held in Hall N5 of the New International Exhibition Area on the morning of March 13. This event aims to strengthen and expand the implementation of the policies of trading in old household appliances for new ones and purchasing new digital and smart products. At the meeting, leaders from the Ministry of Commerce and Shanghai will deliver speeches; the China Household Electrical Appliances Association will release the "2026 China Household Appliance Consumption Trend White Paper".
As an important platform for implementing the national strategy of expanding domestic demand and undertaking the policy of trading in old consumer goods for new ones, the "AWE New - for - Old Consumption Festival" has been officially launched today. The "AWE New - for - Old Consumption Festival" is jointly created by the AWE organizers and leading online platforms such as JD.com, Tmall, Douyin Mall, and Suning.com. It is the "first household appliance, home furnishing, 3C and digital product shopping festival in spring".
The event focuses on the new products launched at the expo site, annual trend products, and key best - sellers, and has established a consumption closed - loop from experiencing cutting - edge technologies to placing an order for new products with one click. From March 12 to 15, consumers can search for the "AWE New - for - Old Consumption Festival" on major platforms to share the benefits of the new - for - old program.
Image source: AWE
To bring technology into people's lives, the first "AWE Coffee Life Festival" with the theme of "Make a Cup of Your Favorite Coffee for Yourself" made its debut at the expo. The relevant exhibition booths built an immersive experience space around the home coffee scenario, launching interactive activities such as coffee tasting and making, allowing people to directly experience the fun of professional - level coffee making. The bustling "AWE Kitchen Appliance and Food Festival" attracted a large number of visitors. While tasting delicious food, the audience actively participated in the interactive experience of "Selecting My Favorite Kitchen Appliance", truly feeling the improvement in the quality of life brought by technology on the tip of their tongues.
During the expo, many domestic and international KOLs, technology experts, lifestyle bloggers, and cross - border celebrities visited the AWE site, vividly and immersively presenting the unique charm of AWE to online audiences.
The top - level IP of AWE, the "AWE Live - Streaming Night", reached its peak on March 12 and 13. The large exhibition hall will be transformed into a super live - streaming room, and more than a hundred exhibitors will simultaneously start an online live - streaming sales matrix, jointly pushing this technological consumption carnival to a climax both online and offline.
Converse with the Future, Concurrent Forums Explore New Paths for Industrial Development
Insight into industry trends and gathering top - level wisdom, the series of forum activities in the New International Exhibition Area of AWE2026 throughout the exhibition period carry the certainty and sense of direction of industrial evolution, providing a high - level communication platform for upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry.
Against the backdrop of the flourishing development of humanoid robots and embodied intelligent products, the "Forum on the Development of the Household Service Robot Industry and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Household Service Robot Special Committee", carefully crafted by AWE this year, took the lead as the highlight of the concurrent forums.
At the forum, senior representatives from enterprises such as Haier and Fourier shared their understanding of robots entering households and their corporate strategic layouts. Sun Fuchun, a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology of Tsinghua University and the vice - president of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, delivered a speech titled "The Integration of Embodied Intelligence and Large Models: The 'Last Mile' Breakthrough for Household Service Robots".
In addition, guests from universities and enterprises such as Zhejiang University, Hisense, Luming Technology, and Shangwei Qiyuan will participate in the round - table forum to deeply decode the future development of "AI + Household Appliances + Robots".
Image source: AWE
On the morning of March 13, the "Future Home · AI Life - 2026 AWE High - Level Forum" will be grandly opened.
At that time, Min Dengfeng, the general manager of the Hongmeng Smart Home Solution of Huawei Terminal BG, Dr. Michael Schiebe, the chairman of the board and CEO of BSH Home Appliances Group, Guo Renjie, the founder and CEO of Lexiang Technology, and a representative from Xiaohongshu's business will deliver keynote speeches on topics such as smart living, smart home, and human - machine symbiosis. Guests from industries and enterprises such as the European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers, Vatti, Magic Atom, iRobot, and Shufude will engage in a high - level dialogue to jointly explore how AI can deeply empower and reshape future life.
