LAS VEGAS — CES 2026 offered a glimpse of a future that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie: bendable screens, paper-thin TVs and cars and gadgets that can think for themselves as they get to know you and your family’s wants and needs.
As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang put it, “The ChatGPT moment for physical AI is here.”
And everywhere you looked, robots. They roamed the show floor, assisted workers and entertained crowds — from humanoid helpers and furry “cyber-pets” to task-specific machines.
Here’s a recap of some attention-grabbing gadgets at CES 2026, the annual technology trade show in Las Vegas:
Star Wars and Lego
Lego leaned heavily into fan nostalgia this week to unveil its latest innovation, enlisting Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer David Filoni and a lineup of familiar Star Wars characters, including Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO and X-wing pilots.
On Monday, the company introduced Lego Smart Play, a new platform built around connected bricks, tags and specially designed minifigures in partnership with Star Wars.
Real buttons are so back
Another point for nostalgia: Clicks Technology is reviving the physical phone keyboard with its magnetic QWERTY model that clips onto phones.
Co-founder Jeff Gadway said the company’s Power Keyboard “is one keyboard for all your smart devices.”
It features a full QWERTY layout, with directional keys and a number row, in a callback to the Blackberry era of smartphones for those who miss real buttons.
Return of LG’s Wallpaper TV line
If you’re not familiar with CES, just know that new TV announcements are ubiquitous to the show — some big, some small, some even transparent. But LG brought something distinct to CES this year: an OLED TV that’s only 9 millimeters thick.
The South Korean tech company announced the OLED evo W6 model from its Wallpaper line just ahead of CES, but reporters and industry representatives were able to see it for the first time at the show.
Vacuum that can climb stairs
Chinese robovac maker Roborock introduced a vacuum that literally sprouts chicken-like legs to navigate up and down stairs. There are vacuums out there capable of this feat (and there were even a few others at CES), but this one actually cleans the steps along the way.
The newly introduced Saros Rover took its time in its ascent and descent during the demo on the showroom floor, but Roborock said it will be able to traverse almost any style of stairwell, including spiraled and curved.
Razer goes the smart glasses route with headphones
Gaming tech company Razer brought a very interesting concept to CES: a set of over-ear headphones that can largely replicate the capabilities of currently available smart glasses.
During the demo, Razer’s host asked the AI-powered headset — dubbed Project Motoko — to translate a Japanese restaurant menu into English and even asked it to search up information on The Associated Press.
Extended-reality platform aims to help process grief
Do you wish you could speak one more time with a loved one who died unexpectedly? Or sit down for a conversation with your younger self? One company is exploring how immersive technology might make something like that possible, at least in part.
VHEX Lab showcased its SITh.XRaedo, an immersive extended-reality grief therapy platform that creates a virtual avatar from a single photo and, according to the company, is guided in real time by a trained XR therapist. Wearing a virtual reality headset, users can speak with the avatar, which responds through speech, nods, smiles and other gestures.
The company, which won a digital health innovation award at CES, said the platform is designed to help people process grief and find closure, offering an alternative way to mourn.
Personal mobility on autopilot
Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride — that’s exactly what some conference attendees did at Strutt’s booth. Curious volunteers sat blindfolded in the robotics company’s new self-driving personal mobility chair called the EV1, which senses its surroundings and navigates on its own.
Tony Hong, CEO and founder of the Singapore-based Strutt, told AP that the chair has a full suite of sensors that helps it avoid bumps, walls, people and other obstacles, adjusting in real time as it drives.
“Cyber-pet” that turned heads at CES
Allergic to dogs or cats but still craving a furry sidekick? Chinese tech brand Ollobot pitched a futuristic alternative: a rolling, purple “cyber-pet” named OlloNi. Part plush toy, part AI robot, OlloNi is designed to feel warm and expressive, unlike the stiff, humanoid home robots that often dominate robotics, the company said.
