Chinese innovations clean up at CES

Chinese smart cleaning manufacturers are making a strategic push into the premium US market, unveiling new product lineups at CES 2026 that aim to make housekeeping and yard work a thing of the past while keeping ahead of the competition with advanced technologies and supply chain advantages.

Already dominating the global market, these Chinese firms are positioned to compete with the industry's higher price points, showcasing smart vacuums, autonomous lawn mowers, and robotic pool cleaners.

Yarbo, whose name combines "yard" and "robot", pursues this upmarket approach with its modular autonomous system. The robot comprises a single core unit that accepts interchangeable attachments for various yard maintenance tasks, from lawn mowing and trimming to leaf clearing and snow removal.

"With our intelligent robots, we can help address yard service needs, and save people time and money," Huang Zhiliang, Yarbo's co-founder, told China Daily. "After doing this for 10 years, we have found that users like the product more and more. This year, we launched our new generation product, the Yarbo M Series. It is based on the experience we have built over the past decade and on users' needs."

The company's products, priced between $5,000 and $10,000, target middle-class consumers in Europe and the US, particularly those with large properties who would otherwise have to put in the work themselves or hire expensive professionals.

He pointed to increasing labor costs and a declining workforce in European and US markets. By combining robotics with recent AI advances, Chinese manufacturers can deliver high-quality service at significantly lower costs than traditional alternatives, he said.

"Our product solves users' problems, so users try it, purchase it, and over time the volume grows," Huang said. "Even though the price is relatively high, it is still cheaper and less labor-intensive than other solutions, so they are willing to buy it."

Chinese smart cleaning companies have evolved from competing primarily on price to establishing themselves as technology leaders through innovations in navigation, self-cleaning capabilities and AI recognition. Rather than promoting single models, manufacturers now offer comprehensive "full-scenario cleaning solutions" that span homes, gardens and commercial spaces.

Critical to this success is China's manufacturing ecosystem, which has driven down costs for key components. Lidar sensors, once prohibitively expensive at $10,000 or more for automotive applications, now cost between $1,000 and $2,000, making it feasible for consumer products.

Strengths of supply chain

"We rely on the strengths of China's supply chain," Huang explained. "For example, lidar costs have been falling as the technology develops, and RTK chips have also been getting cheaper. This allows us to create better products at a much lower cost, delivering more value to our global users."

Huang predicted 2026 will mark a turning point, with more brands adopting lidar technology as prices reach the sweet spot where consumers find value despite premium pricing.

Dreame's new robotic pool cleaner also showcases this technological integration. The device, equipped with lidar, can clean steps, tanning ledges, water surfaces, pool floors and walls with greater precision.

"With lidar, the robot's autonomous planning and path recognition on the pool floor is much more precise," said Wu Tao, Dreame's global marketing and sales director for robotic pool cleaners. "In the past, there might be tiny particles it could not see, but now, when it operates, it can be more accurate and cleaner."

While robotic pool cleaners often require manual retrieval from the water, Dreame is developing ways to make it fully autonomous.

"Our goal is to minimize human intervention as much as possible," Wu said. "We have a product coming with a base station that also serves as a battery charger. The robot starts out parked there. When it needs to clean, it can lower itself into the water through our app, complete the entire cleaning job, and then climb back up to the edge on its own."

Early reception at CES has been enthusiastic, particularly for the base station concept and its promise of truly unmanned operation, said Wu. "People have very high expectations," he added.

Wu said many US competitors still rely on primitive cable systems and have yet to adopt lidar or sophisticated autonomous path planning. At Piscina Barcelona 2025, a major exhibition for the pool and spa industry, some competitors visited the Chinese booths to study their innovations, he said.

"I believe domestic technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past two years," Wu said. However, he acknowledged gaps remain where US companies excel.

CES, the world's premier technology event, concluded last week and has attracted thousands of exhibitors from over 155 countries and regions, according to the US Consumer Technology Association.