by Jeff Daum, Ph.D., PPA Technology & Product Analyst

CES 2026 wrapped the end of last week. As the largest Consumer Electronics Show of its kind and the largest convention held in Las Vegas (at the LV Convention Center plus several of the Resorts), it tends to be both encompassing and overwhelming. [I averaged 12 to 13,000 steps each day with my equipment.] According to the Consumer Technology Association (who runs CES) there were 148K+ attendees, 4100+ exhibitors and 6900+ media and industry analysts this year.

Not surprisingly, AI was incorporated into just about every imaginable application (whether it was needed, added true value or not) from clothing, shoes, bracelets and rings that tracked multiple health indicators, to vehicle components (attention tracking, HVAC, accident avoidance, etc.), drone flight control, cleaning robots (house floors, windows, pools), kitchen and laundry appliances, surveillance systems, pet liter boxes, and the smart home.

Everything that is electronic can be found at CES from supersized TVs, to cooking/food preparation appliances, to solar systems, power walls and generators, to vehicles of all sizes and shapes (giant John Deere harvester, fire trucks, regular cars, prototype cars, flying cars), powered wheel chairs, workout equipment, to cell phones and accessories, speakers to ear buds, toilets and faucets, and robots of every type and size.

CES is not open to the public, only manufacturers, buyers, sellers, investors, and the press. The first couple of days are restricted to the press and an opportunity to preview the ‘latest and greatest’ new technology of the show, along with many Keynote and PR presentations (like the impressive one by Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang). This is followed by four days of the exhibits being open across all the venues.

In addition to major players (LG, Samsung, Bosch, Nvidia, Amazon, etc.) there are many very small, often start-up companies there. It is usual to see, for example, an item by a known manufacturer like LG and BeatBot (pool robots) and then half a dozen or more unknown companies displaying very similar looking products with similar performance claims but sometimes of dubious quality.  Products displayed range from actual production units to beta versions or even mock-ups.

What I like about CES is not only the opportunity to see (and handle or interact with) the newest technology, but also the chance to talk directly with respective CEOs, innovators, and technical gurus.

It seemed like there were fewer vehicles this year compared to previous years, but more exhibitors displaying advances in specific vehicle components (like lidar, dash displays, audio, EV motors and batteries).

It is hard to pick THE one product or technology that truly impressed me, because of the scope of CES, but several standouts are:

• All solid-state battery for vehicle applications by Donut Labs
• Status Pro X ear buds with Knowles balanced armatures
• SwipeVideo immersive video streaming technology that lets users seamlessly switch perspectives by swiping through unlimited camera angles
• Qlay’s AI software that detects the use of AI to cheat on tests or in an interview
• Longbow Speedster retro sports car built around cutting edge technology
• Reolink’s use of AI to quickly sort through surveillance videos
• Wheel M=ove powered wheelchairs

Here is a link to my gallery providing an overview of this year’s CES experience: https://www.daumphotography.com/Events/2026-CES

or you can scan this QR code:

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