What strange tech innovations are stealing the show at CES 2026?

CES 2026 is underway in Las Vegas, and the world’s largest tech show is once again turning heads with its bold and bizarre innovations. This year, more than 4,500 exhibitors - including 1,400 start-ups - are taking part.

From music-playing candy to robots that do the laundry (and dance to K-pop), here’s a selection of some of the most eye-catching (and eyebrow-raising) tech on show so far.

CES is packed with flashy screens and futuristic robots - but one gadget is appealing to a very different sense. Lollipop Star is exactly what it sounds like: a sweet that plays music while you eat it.

Using what the company calls “bone conduction technology,” the lollipop lets users hear songs - including tracks from Ice Spice and Akon - as they lick it or bite down at the back of their mouth.

“So, Lollipop Star is a lollipop where as you eat it, you start hearing the music and you enjoy music while you're enjoying the lollipop,” said Cassie Lawrence, a spokesperson from Lollipop Star.

The lollipop sends sound vibrations from your molars through your skull and into your inner ear, giving a similar impression to listening to music through headphones. Lollipop Star features songs from artists including Ice Spice, Akon, and Armani White.

"It’s super fun, it’s a great way to enjoy your favorite song while enjoying a lollipop, which I think we can all love and remember from childhood how fun those are and it’s a really fun novelty product that I think a lot of people will really enjoy," Lawrence said.

South Korean electronics giant LG has unveiled CLOiD - an AI-powered home assistant designed to take on household chores, from washing dishes to putting dinner on while you’re away from home.

The company calls it a "sneak peek at the future" and promises a so-called "Zero Labour Home."

CLOiD has human-like arms with shoulder, elbow and wrist movement, five independently actuated fingers, and a wheeled base that uses autonomous driving technology. Its head doubles as an AI hub, integrating with LG’s smart home ecosystem and ThinQ platform.

The robot doesn't come close to competing with humans in speed, but for those who hate folding laundry, slow and steady may just win the race. LG hasn't yet announced a release date for CLOiD.

Ever wished you could be in two places at once at work? A new AI tool unveiled at the tech show claims to make that possible - by creating a digital twin of you.

Texas-based software company IgniteTech is demonstrating MyPersonas, a platform that can build AI-powered replicas of employees using their video, voice, and written materials.

The digital stand-ins can answer questions, chat on video, and respond in 160 different languages, acting as a virtual version of the real person. It even replicates mannerisms and speech patterns.

The company says the system could ease pressure on key staff such as HR managers, who handle repetitive questions, training, and onboarding around the clock.

Sound cool right? But you've gotta admit there's something slightly Black Mirror about this one...

Not all tech at CES is about efficiency. Some exhibitors are focusing on comfort and companionship.

California-based Tombot is showcasing Jennie, a lifelike robotic Labrador Retriever, designed to act as an emotional support animal for people who can’t care for real pets.

Covered with sensors, the robotic dogs can feel where they’re being touched and respond to select voice commands.

CEO and co-founder Tom Stevens says the idea came from personal experience. "Jennie was inspired by my mother, who after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia, I had to take away her dog for safety reasons. She was quite upset with me," he said.

"I looked around for substitutes for live animal companions. She didn't like anything that I brought home. And so, I realised that there was a big unmet need.”

Jennie isn’t on the market yet, but Tombot says it's planning first paid customer shipments this summer, with more than 20,000 people already on a waitlist from 116 countries.

Culinary tech startup Seattle Ultrasonics is proving that even the humble kitchen knife can get a high-tech upgrade.

Its C-200 chef’s knife uses ultrasonic technology, sending vibrations down the blade more than 30,000 times per second. The company claims this allows chefs to cut with up to 50 percent less force - even if the knife isn’t perfectly sharp.

“Knives have been around since the dawn of time essentially, and up until now the only way to make a better knife was to make better steel, but steel technology is really plateauing and the best top-of-the-line steel is very hard to make now,” explained Caitlin Sanders, a spokesperson from Seattle Ultrasonics.

“And so, Scott (CEO and Founder of Seattle Ultrasonics) decided to take a really good base chef knife, this is actually Japanese steel, and put the ultrasonic technology in it so that even when it's dull it's going to perform so much sharper than it actually is.”

Bad COVID-19 lockdown haircuts may soon be a thing of the past.

Glyde is showing off what it calls the world’s first smart hair clipper. Users can select their preferred hairstyle in an app, and then let the clipper go to work.

The clipper’s blade senses speed, tilt and angle - adjusting in real time to prevent uneven fades or accidental overcuts.

CES wouldn’t be CES without a spectacle.

In one of the most talked-about moments, a group of Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs danced to K-pop to kick off Hyundai’s press conference.

“Now our Robots have a lot of talent. Dancing like K-pop stars. But they are built for a higher purpose. To cooperate, to assist the co-work, to do hazardous jobs and many other things,” said Merry Frayne, the director of Spot product management at Boston Dynamics.

After the choreography, the company raised the stakes by publicly demonstrating its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time at CES.