Monday, 19 October 2026 04:10 PM
Company Update
Company showcases home companion robotics and AI-enabled energy management as manufacturers move toward commercialization
BERLIN, DE / ACCESS Newswire / October 19, 2026 / At this year's IFA, Tuya Smart showcased how artificial intelligence hardware is moving beyond concept demonstrations toward practical applications, including home companion robots, smart-home security and energy management.
One of the products drawing attention at Tuya Smart's booth was Doova, a small, white, dome-shaped companion robot designed for older adults living alone. The robot features LDS LiDAR, four-microphone sound-source localization and visual AI posture recognition. If a user falls or experiences an emergency, they can call out, "Hey Tuya, help," and the robot can locate and reach them.
Tuya Smart, a global AI cloud platform provider headquartered in Hangzhou, used the event to present its approach to developing AI products around users' needs. Alex Yang, the company's co-founder, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, said AI can deliver meaningful value when it addresses genuine user needs.
Rather than focusing solely on humanoid robots, Tuya is targeting companion hardware for two groups: preschool children and older adults living alone. Yang noted that some older adults in Europe and China live apart from their adult children, and may experience social isolation after losing a partner. Companion devices, he said, can offer interaction and encouragement as well as practical reminders, such as prompts to take medication after breakfast or check whether a prescription needs refilling.
Yang said the design of companion robots must balance approachability with familiarity. Some robots can appear overly metallic and impersonal, while highly realistic designs may create an "uncanny valley" effect. Tuya has therefore opted for a rounded, friendly appearance for Doova.
The company has conducted user trials in China and Japan. According to Yang, the core design principle is to recognize users' emotions and respond empathetically. Tuya also adapts its companion experiences to online language and trends. The adult version offers a range of selectable personalities, from blunt and sharp-tongued to gentle and introverted, while the children's version is designed differently.
Tuya said more than one billion smart devices have been shipped to global markets through its platform. Yang said the company's role as a platform serving both business customers and end users is compatible with its broader goal of enabling AI technology to reach markets where there is demand.
Yang expects more AI devices to reach the European market during the Christmas season as manufacturers move prototypes into mass production and commercialization. He identified three areas where AI hardware could see adoption: residential applications, energy management and home robotics.
Residential applications. Tuya is applying AI to connected home devices, including security products, with the aim of moving beyond basic connectivity toward more advanced functions. The company has worked in the smart-home market for more than a decade.
Energy management. Tuya is connecting major electricity-consuming devices and batteries with grid supply-and-demand conditions. The company says its platform is integrated with more than 1,000 utility companies in Europe and can access real-time electricity prices and supply forecasts. By managing battery storage and other controllable devices, the platform can help optimize energy use and potentially reduce users' electricity bills.
Home robotics. Tuya is focusing on companion robots designed for household use. Yang said robots built primarily for dancing or fighting have largely targeted commercial settings, while the company sees an opportunity for robotics that meet consumers' needs at home.
Yang said wider adoption will depend on whether products meet genuine demand and deliver the required capabilities at an appropriate cost. For Tuya, he added, maintaining an open platform is central to enabling technology to reach the applications and markets where it is needed.
Website URL: https://www.tuya.com
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SOURCE: Tuya