Stranger things: Experimental tech products at CES 2026 that will make you ask ‘Why?’

CES 2026

• Razer's Project AVA: Holographic AI desk companion with anime-style avatars
• An’An panda robot uses emotional AI to combat loneliness in elderly care
• CES 2026 featured AI ice makers, ultrasonic knives, and musical lollipops

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CES 2026 has delivered its usual parade of AI laptops, smarter TVs and predictable upgrades. But tucked away from the polished keynote stages are the ideas that really define the show. These are products that feel half-experiment, half-provocation. Some hint at where technology might go next. Others simply exist because someone could build them.

Razer’s Project AVA turns AI into a desk companion that watches you

One of the most unsettling concepts on the show comes from Razer. Project AVA has evolved from an esports coaching assistant into a holographic desk companion with an anime-inspired personality. A 5.5-inch animated character sits on your desk, offering help with gaming strategies, productivity, scheduling and general advice.

Users can choose between multiple avatars, including an anime-style character named Kira and a muscular figure called Zane. The animations are detailed, with eye tracking, expressive facial movements and realistic lip syncing. The discomfort comes from how aware it is. A built-in camera watches both the user and their screen to provide context-aware responses. Razer says it is still a concept, but it raises obvious questions about how present an AI assistant should be in daily life.

A panda robot designed to tackle loneliness in elderly care

At the opposite end of the emotional scale is An’An, a baby panda robot from Mind with Heart Robotics. Designed for elderly care, An’An combines emotional AI with a soft, comforting physical form. Sensors across its body allow it to respond to touch, while its AI learns a user’s voice, routines and preferences over time.

The longer someone interacts with An’An, the more personalised it becomes. Alongside companionship, it offers reminders, engagement prompts and wellbeing updates that can be shared with caregivers. It looks like a toy, but its goal is serious: addressing isolation and cognitive decline among older adults.

An AI-powered ice maker that exists to be quieter

CES 2026 also delivered one of the most overengineered kitchen-adjacent products in recent memory. GoveeLife’s Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro uses AI NoiseGuard technology to reduce sound. The system predicts when freezing cycles will become loud and triggers defrosting ahead of time.

It can make ice in six minutes, produce up to 60 pounds per day and store 3.5 pounds at once. At $499.99, it is an expensive way to make ice quietly, but it shows just how far companies are willing to push AI into everyday appliances.

A vibrating knife that cuts food with ultrasonic force

Seattle Ultrasonics unveiled a knife that vibrates more than 30,000 times per second. The ultrasonic blade cuts through food with far less resistance than a traditional knife. According to the company, the vibration is imperceptible, with no visible movement, noise or sensation in the handle.

Priced at $399, it is positioned as a premium tool for cooks who want effortless slicing. Whether it is necessary is another question entirely.

A musical lollipop that plays songs inside your head

The most whimsical product at CES 2026 comes from Lollipop Star. The company showcased a candy that uses bone conduction to play music directly to your inner ear while you eat it. Each flavour is paired with a specific artist, including Ice Spice, Akon and Armani White.

It is impractical, fleeting and entirely unnecessary. Which is precisely why it feels so at home at CES.