Experience AI Companion in Everyday Life at Hisense IFA 2026

BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hisense, a leading brand in global consumer electronics and home appliances, is inviting visitors at IFA 2026 to experience how AI can make everyday home routines simpler and more intuitive. Under the theme “Innovating a Brighter Life,” the Hisense AI Companion Suite, powered by ConnectLife, brings connected intelligence to the kitchen, laundry and living spaces.

Step into the kitchen and a simple question— “What should I make?”—can set the experience in motion. The AI Companion Refrigerator recognizes stored ingredients and suggests meal ideas based on personal preferences. Once a recipe is selected, it can sync with the AI Companion Oven to support automatic cooking, while the AI Companion Wine Cabinet recommends pairings and maintains suitable storage conditions. After the meal, the AI Companion Dishwasher recognizes dish conditions and adjusts cleaning, demonstrating how AI can support the journey from planning dinner to cleaning up.

In the laundry area, visitors can see how the AI Companion Laundry Suite turns a routine load into a simpler, more automated experience. By recognizing clothing characteristics, it selects suitable wash and dry cycles and adjusts the process automatically, creating a load-and-go experience.

The experience continues in the living space. The AI Companion Air Conditioner senses indoor conditions and user presence, adapting airflow as people move through the room. Meanwhile, the AI Companion Energy System considers weather and time-of-use electricity pricing to help optimize household energy use.

Building on ConnectLife’s support, Hisense is collaborating with Alexa+ to be among the first home appliance brands bringing smart home devices to Amazon’s Alexa+ AI assistant using Amazon’s new Smart Home AI Toolkit. Available in the coming months, Alexa+ customers will be able to control select Hisense air conditioners by simply saying what they need. Alexa+ will then map the request, navigate the settings, and complete the action for them.

Hisense’s approach to innovation has also earned recognition at IFA, with several of its products receiving awards. The Multi Function II Series, an all-in-one energy-saving HVAC solution, received a Winner Award, while the X-zone Master was named an Honoree. The U8 Air Master Air Conditioner, W60 3D Kitchen-fit Series and 60cm Integrated Wine Cabinet were also recognized that underscores Hisense’s focus on combining intelligent technology, thoughtful design and everyday usability.

Across these IFA scenarios, Hisense brings its Smart Home Companion capabilities to life through V AIOS, giving devices the ability to Sense what is happening, Think through what to do, Communicate naturally with users and across devices, and Execute tasks by orchestrating devices and services autonomously. Together, these capabilities help AI Companion Suites understand context, make decisions and take action, helping the home do more while asking less of its users.

About Hisense

Hisense, founded in 1969, is a globally recognized leader in home appliances and consumer electronics with operations in over 180 countries, specializing in delivering high-quality multimedia products, home appliances, and intelligent IT solutions. According to Omdia, Hisense ranks No. 1 globally in the 100-inch and over TV segment (2023-2026H1). As The Origin of RGB MiniLED, Hisense continues to lead the next-generation RGB MiniLED innovation. As the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026^TM, Hisense is committed to global sports partnerships as a way to connect with audiences worldwide.

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Roborock Reports 27.6% Revenue Growth in H1 2026, Reinforcing Global Market Leadership

BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Roborock, a global leader in home robotics engineered to simplify daily life, reported revenue of RMB 10.084 billion in the first half of 2026, up 27.6% year on year, while net profit attributable to shareholders rose 45.6% to RMB 986 million. The company also reached a new global milestone, with Roborock recognized as the world’s No.1 robotic vacuum cleaner brand by both IDC and Euromonitor International.

Global Expansion Continues to Strengthen Growth

Roborock’s international business continued to deliver strong growth in H1 2026 across both mature and high-potential markets. During Amazon Prime Day 2026, Roborock ranked No.1 in the robotic vacuum category in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States and Canada. In Europe, Roborock reached a 45% share of the robotic vacuum market, with unit sales up 24% year on year, while wet-dry vacuum unit sales grew 112%. In North America, Roborock reached a 33% share of the robotic vacuum market, with unit sales increasing 30% year on year.

Momentum was also strong across key Asia-Pacific markets. Roborock ranked No.1 in both unit shipments and sales value in Australia, Korea, Taiwan region and Türkiye from Q1 2023 to Q1 2026. In Korea, the brand maintained more than 70% share of the premium robotic vacuum segment, while the S10 MaxV Ultra generated approximately KRW 28 billion in sales within ten days of its February 2026 launch. In Japan, Roborock continued to deepen its premium retail presence through cooperation with Yamada Denki, including dedicated brand displays and nationwide availability of flagship products. Across Asia-Pacific, the company continued to combine its global technology platform with localized channel, marketing and service strategies.

Roborock’s global leadership has also been independently recognized by IDC and Euromonitor International. According to IDC, Roborock ranked No.1 globally by both unit shipments and sales value among robotic vacuum brands in H1 2026, while Euromonitor International ranked the brand No.1 globally by retail sales value in 2025. Together, the two rankings reinforce Roborock’s global market leadership and reflect sustained consumer demand worldwide.

Sustained R&D Investment Supports Long-Term Competitiveness

Roborock continued to invest heavily in technology in the first half of 2026, with R&D spending reaching RMB 720 million, up 5.11% year on year and accounting for 7.14% of revenue. The company continues to build capabilities in intelligent navigation, AI-powered environmental perception, cleaning systems and robotic mobility, while increasingly bringing these technologies together at the system level rather than improving individual specifications in isolation. This integrated approach allows technologies proven in flagship products to be brought into a wider range of models and price segments, helping Roborock strengthen its portfolio while making advanced features available to more consumers.

IFA 2026 Highlights the Next Phase of Innovation

At IFA 2026, Roborock is showcasing its latest advances across indoor and outdoor cleaning. Its new robot vacuums and wet-dry vacuums bring advances in steam-powered care, adaptive cleaning and whole-home versatility, while the Roborock Saros Rover introduces a two-wheel-leg architecture designed to expand robotic mobility beyond flat floors. Roborock is also broadening its intelligent cleaning ecosystem with the debut of the RockAqua P1, its first intelligent pool cleaner, alongside the RockNeo Q2 LiDAR robotic mower, extending its autonomous cleaning capabilities across floors, pools and gardens.

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Archaea As Flexitarians: Ammonia-Oxidizing Microbes Also Feed on Amino Acids

Sep 05: Symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea in marine sponges are not strict specialists, but true “flexitarians”: A team led by microbiologists Bettina Glasl and Katharina Kitzinger from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with partners from Australia, has shown that these microbes dine not only on ammonia but also on amino acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine – and presumably do that to communicate with their animal host. The findings shed new light on one of the oldest animal-microbe symbiotic relationships on Earth and point to a previously underestimated role played by archaea. The study was published in the prestigious journal Science Advances.

For decades, scientists assumed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea had a strict diet, feeding exclusively on ammonia, and to some extent, on the simple nitrogenous compounds cyanate and urea, to fix CO2. A new study led by researchers from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, shows that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea, unlike their free-living relatives studied thus far, are actually “flexitarians”. They use amino acids, such as valine, leucine and isoleucine, as additional food sources. This finding also suggests that these symbiotic microbes may have an unknown ability to communicate with their animal hosts.

An ancient symbiosis

Marine sponges are among the oldest animals. Their simple bodies are teeming with microbes. This partnership, also called symbiosis, is vital for the sponge’s survival in the oceans. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are key symbionts in marine sponges. They are renowned as the sponge’s microscopically sized sanitation crew as they remove toxic ammonia, a metabolic waste product.

Until now, it was assumed that they are strict “chemolithoautotrophs”: They derive energy from inorganic compounds, in this case ammonia, and use CO2 as their carbon source.Hints that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea might be more flexible came from their genomes. Unlike many free-living ammonia-oxidizing archaea, they carry genes encoding transporters for branched-chain amino acids. The new study provides the first direct experimental evidence that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea actually are mixotrophs, capable to use CO2 and amino acids as a carbon source.

Zooming in on individual microbes’ activity

The researchers studied the coral reef sponge Ianthella basta, also called elephant ear sponge, and its ammonia-oxidizing archaeal symbiont Nitrosospongia ianthellae. Using a cutting-edge combination of advanced chemical and microscopic imaging techniques, including NanoSIMS, they were able to watch the dietary habits of individual symbiont cells in their sponge host.

 “The real challenge was to prove which specific cells were consuming the amino acids within the sponge,” says Katharina Kitzinger, co-lead author and specialist in single-cell analysis. “We could literally see the labeled amino acids being incorporated into individual symbiont cells, linking a cell’s identity to its function rather than relying on genome predictions alone.”

From waste disposal to microbial communication

The discovery has implications beyond the microbes’ diet. As they can both consume and produce branched-chain amino acids, symbiotic ammonia-oxidising archaea may influence the availability of these essential amino acids within their ancient animal host.

“We used to think of these symbionts primarily as a waste disposal service for the sponge” says Bettina Glasl, co-lead author and expert in sponge–microbiome interactions. “By producing and consuming these amino acids, the symbionts can potentially modulate important signalling molecules for the sponge. This could be a form of communication between microbes and animal hosts with deep evolutionary roots.”

The researchers propose that this metabolic activity could even influence the mTOR signaling pathway, a conserved regulator of cell growth and metabolism that responds to branched-chain amino acid availability.

“This work would not have been possible without the tight collaboration of many people in Austria and Australia, and the generous support from the FWF for the Cluster of Excellence ‘Microbiomes drive planetary health'” says Michael Wagner, head of the FWF-Cluster and last author of the study.

Utah researchers join NSF center that studies how robots and people learn to work together

Sep 05: A new National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, led by the University of Texas at Austin, will study what happens when assistive robots leave the lab and move into the real world to live and work alongside humans.  

The Center for Human and Robot Co-Adaptation will bring together 39 researchers from six universities and multiple industry partners to establish a new science of “human-robot co-adaptation”—how people and robots learn from one another and adjust their behavior over long periods in everyday settings that will include homes, hospitals and assisted-living residences.

The University of Utah will play a central role in the new center under the leadership of Daniel Brown, assistant professor in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering’s Kahlert School of Computing. The Utah contingent of researchers has expertise spanning human-AI alignment and safety, robot learning and manipulation, human-centered computing and human factors. 

“A lot of research into robotics research today focuses on whether a robot can successfully complete a particular task,” Brown said. “Through this center, we want to dive deeper and understand what happens when a person and a robot live and work together for weeks, months or even years.” 

“This kind of long-term study of co-adaptation is really only possible with the kind of large-scale effort afforded by the center,” he said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to get the research we’ve been developing in the lab into hospitals, dormitories, museums and care facilities to better understand how to create human-robot interactions that benefit and empower people.” 

Other Kahlert faculty involved with the 5-year collaboration, which is funded by a $30 million NSF grant, include Tucker Hermans, Jason Wiese and Kenneth Marino, along with Frank Drews, a Utah professor of psychology.

The University of Utah will also provide one of the center’s most important real-world proving grounds. Through the Human Environment with Robots Facility Network, robots will be deployed at University of Utah Health sites, including the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital and the planned One U Residential Center, designed to support independent living for people with complex physical injuries.

Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is a leader in patient-facing technology and innovation, providing a clinical environment to develop and test new technologies that can increase patient independence, improve rehabilitation outcomes and support care teams. The project builds on a longstanding collaboration between Jason Wiese; Dr. Jeffrey Rosenbluth, Vice Chair of Innovation and Community Programs at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital; James Gardner, who coordinates the development of new patient-facing technology at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital; and Brent Eliesen, Health Innovation Team Lead with University of Utah Information Technology. 

Their work includes the hospital’s 75 smart patient rooms, where assistive technologies are integrated into patient care and studied in a clinical setting. This established infrastructure and experience provide a strong foundation for expanding this work into assistive robotics.

These real-world settings will allow researchers to study how patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and robots adapt to one another during extended, real-world interactions—moving robotics research beyond short laboratory experiments toward technologies that can safely support rehabilitation and independent living. Utah will also contribute to the center’s education and outreach efforts through collaborations with the Utah STEM Action Center.

“This project gives us a chance to study robotics where the technology really matters: alongside people in their everyday environments,” Wiese said. “We want to understand how robots can adapt to individual needs and support greater independence.”

Partner universities include Indiana University Bloomington, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and Yale University. Industry collaborators include Amazon, Apptronik, Diligent Robotics, Google DeepMind, Hello Robot, MassRobotics, NVIDIA and Robust AI.

Midea Brings “Simply ideal” to Life at IFA 2026

BERLIN, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At IFA 2026, Midea brings its “Simply ideal” vision to life through the latest innovations, designed to bring greater intelligence, comfort, efficiency and ease to the home.

The exhibition also highlights Midea’s new five-year partnership with FC Barcelona.

The Midea Suites: Ways to Master the Home

The new SMART MASTER showcases Midea’s AI-powered home ecosystem. The AI Agent enables more natural, intuitive interaction with appliances across daily household scenarios. Midea Robot brings AI into the physical world through cooking, cleaning, laundry, care and whole-home control.

At IFA 2026, Midea unveiled its new AI voice-controlled air conditioner. Cliff Liang, General Manager of Enterprise Commercial for the China Region at Microsoft, joined the Midea event and shared Microsoft’s perspective on the next phase of AI.

AI ECOMASTER coordinates appliances and connected systems through intelligent power management. It learns household routines and adapts to changing needs for greater flexibility and comfort.

For homes where every inch counts, SPACE MASTER delivers more usable capacity within the same external dimensions, as demonstrated by the refrigerator’s expanded storage.

Alongside the MASTER Suites, the BUILT-IN Series includes the Milanese-inspired Ispira Series, combining cohesive design with intelligent functionality for an integrated cooking experience.

The Midea Scenarios: Innovation for Everyday Living

Comfort begins with the air around us. Midea’s R290 Series responds to growing demand for efficient cooling. It combines advanced compressor and safety-sealing technologies with ultra-low-GWP R290 refrigerant, delivering around 10% higher energy efficiency. Residential applications include H-Pack and PortaSplit, with PortaSplit set to adopt R290 in 2027.

In the kitchen, technology simplifies daily routines, from food storage and cooking to after-meal care. The Visionary Series refrigerators make food easier to see and access through GlassVision, hands-free lighting and clear, even illumination.

The InfiniteFit Series hobs feature an ultra-slim design for seamless integration into European kitchens, while OmniFlex enables flexible cookware placement. The PizzaPro built-in oven combines rapid heating with an 81L cavity, balancing speed with capacity.

After the meal, the Tri-GreenApex System brings washing, drying and storage together while using around 50% less energy than required for Europe’s highest A rating.

Laundry brings its own everyday needs. Midea’s family laundry room concept combines multi-drum solutions for different garment-care needs, allowing separate loads to run at the same time. The OMNI SERIES offers flexible combinations to suit different household routines.

Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, introduced Matter at Midea’s booth, highlighting its open, secure, interoperable framework and Midea’s role in advancing smart appliance connectivity.

Partnership and Brand Portfolio

At IFA 2026, Midea celebrated its partnership through an immersive FC Barcelona experience at its booth. FC Barcelona legend Carles Puyol made a special appearance, sharing insights from his career on leadership, teamwork and the pursuit of excellence. His presence reflected Midea and FC Barcelona’s shared commitment to world-class performance.

As part of Midea Group’s multi-brand portfolio, TEKA presents its latest innovations under the “Meaningful Experiences Through Technology” concept, including its new coffee machine range, the In-Line Series and Laundry Care solutions, bringing European design and functionality to modern living.

About Midea and Midea Group

Midea is one of over 10 brands within the Smart Home Business of Midea Group.

Founded in 1968, Midea Group is a leading global technology company and one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers. As a Fortune Global 500 enterprise, it ranked No. 231 in 2026. The Group has streamlined its core operations into seven high-growth business pillars to drive future growth: Smart Home, Industrial Technologies, Building Technologies, KUKA, New Energy, Midea Healthcare, and ANNTO Logistics.

www.midea-group.com

www.midea.com

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Dahua Technology Showcases Integrated Smart Living and Innovations at IFA Berlin 2026

BERLIN, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, is showcasing its expanding portfolio of intelligent products and solutions at IFA Berlin 2026, highlighting the company’s continued innovation in its core technology strengths while extending AIoT capabilities into a broader range of business areas.

At this year’s exhibition, Dahua is presenting innovations spanning wireless surveillance, intrusion alarm, video intercom, monitor, and fire safety. The lineup demonstrates how Dahua is building on its expertise in video, AI, and intelligent security to address a wider range of residential, commercial, and professional needs.

WITHS: Extending Professional Security through Wireless Innovation

Developed around the concept of “Simple, Smart, Secure”, WITHS brings Dahua’s professional imaging and intelligent security expertise into a flexible wireless portfolio designed for easier deployment and management.

Supporting Wi-Fi, 4G, and DMSS app control, WITHS helps reduce cabling requirements and enables smaller installations to be conveniently managed through mobile devices, while NVR-based management supports larger applications. Its intelligent capabilities include human, pet, and vehicle detection, auto tracking, gesture recognition, facial recognition, AOV/AOR recording, WizColor imaging, and two-way talk. It covers indoor, outdoor, wire-free, and off-grid scenarios, including solar-powered and high-capacity battery options.

Dahua AirShield: Integrated Wireless Intrusion Protection

Dahua AirShield provides wireless intrusion protection by integrating alarm devices with surveillance, video intercom, and other security systems. Its Airfly private RF protocol supports event transmission between alarm hubs and wireless peripherals, while RF-HD enables rapid image and audio transmission from compatible devices.

The solution supports wired devices through expansion modules, helping users modernize existing systems while reducing upgrade costs. Powered by DoLynk Cloud, AirShield connects end-users, installers, and Alarm Receiving Centers through DMSS and DoLynk Care. AP Mode provides flexible network configuration, while Cloud Update enables one-click upgrades of alarm hubs and wireless peripherals.

Dahua WizTalk: Intelligent Residential Video Intercom

Dahua WizTalk, the company’s flagship IP video intercom series, combines high-resolution imaging, AI capabilities, integrated security, and intelligent residential control. Selected door stations feature 5MP or 5MP+2MP dual-camera configurations, full-color night vision, ultra-wide viewing angles, and panoramic vertical dual-lens designs.

WizTalk supports detection of people, loitering, vehicles, packages, and pets, while selected models also provide crying detection. Its indoor panels integrate video surveillance, PTZ control, digital zoom, and intrusion alarm functions. SCP Series Smart Control Panels running Android 14 also support compatible third-party applications, allowing multiple functions to be managed through a unified interface.

More Technological Innovations Beyond Security

Beyond these core highlights, Dahua is also presenting fire safety solutions and gaming monitors, further demonstrating the breadth of the company’s growing product portfolio. Wisualarm extends Dahua’s capabilities into professional fire detection and alarm applications, including connected fire protection and AI-assisted early fire detection, while Dahua monitors address commercial, gaming, and residential display needs.

“IFA gives us an opportunity to show both the depth of our technology expertise and the breadth of our growing portfolio,” said Eason Rao, Overseas Product General Manager at Dahua. “We are continuing to strengthen our core businesses while exploring new opportunities and developing solutions that bring intelligent technology to more applications and customers.”

Experience Dahua at IFA 2026!

Visitors can experience Dahua’s latest technologies through live demonstrations and speak directly with the company’s product and business teams about their applications and development. Through its diverse portfolio, Dahua continues to strengthen its core businesses while exploring new opportunities to bring intelligent technology to more customers and scenarios.

IFA Berlin 2026 | September 4–8, 2026 | Berlin, Germany 

Dahua Booth: H1.2-173

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CHiQ at IFA 2026: From Global Expansion to Deeper Local Engagement

BERLIN, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At IFA Berlin on September 4, CHiQ unveiled its new AI-powered home appliance range, covering TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washer-dryer combos. Rather than emphasizing technical specifications in isolation, the brand demonstrated how AI integrates into real-life household routines, marking a shift from technological innovation to everyday experiences and reflecting parent company Changhong’s continued focus on localization across global markets.

To address diverse household needs, CHiQ is embedding AI into a growing number of everyday scenarios. Its RGB MiniLED AI TV lineup integrates an integrated AI Sports Platform, transforming the TV from a traditional display into an interactive hub for home fitness and shared activities. The air conditioner features AI Human Presence Radar, which detects users’ locations and habits to adjust airflow dynamically. Meanwhile, the AI-powered refrigerator and laundry care system employ intelligent sensing and monitoring to help users take a more proactive approach to managing food freshness and garment cleanliness.

On IFA’s opening day, Grundig, CHiQ’s strategic partner and a premium European home appliance brand, presented a new product lineup across TVs, refrigerators, washer-dryers, and air conditioners. This showcase represents a further extension of Grundig’s brand development and product strategy and points to a new direction for Grundig in European and global markets.

In recent years, CHiQ’s focus has centered on simplifying everyday household chores through smart innovation. The brand has introduced a virtual giant panda as an AI interactive assistant, adding warmth and personality to its smart TVs and other AI-enabled appliances while naturally incorporating distinctive elements of Chinese culture into the user experience.

Skiing has also become another bridge connecting CHiQ with European lifestyles. Over the same period, the brand has strengthened its European presence as an official data partner of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. These efforts have deepened CHiQ’s connections with consumers in Europe and around the world. At the same time, the brand incorporates the speed of skiing and the pristine character of winter sports into its products, bringing technology closer to users’ lifestyles.

Behind these initiatives lies a broader shift: CHiQ is advancing its localization efforts. From product experiences and brand messaging to sports, culture and other aspects of local life, the company is establishing more diverse touchpoints as it expands its presence in Europe. Moving beyond simply entering overseas markets toward becoming part of them, CHiQ is bringing its global expansion into closer alignment with the local markets it serves.

About CHiQ

CHiQ, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and household appliances, is redefining industry standards with innovative products, intelligent technologies, and a growing commitment to corporate social responsibility. Its influence continues to grow across global markets, especially in Europe.

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