Robots displayed front and center make IFA attendees wow

Staff of start-up Hydrabyte, Randy Gelfert, poses between robotic arms during the IFA in Berlin, Germany, on Sep. 1 (local). [Photo by EPA-Yonhap]

Robots are taking center stage at this year’s IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show taking place in Germany, signaling a change in the relatively conservative European market.

According to an official from a robot company attending IFA 2023 in Berlin, the exhibition used to use terms like “innovation technology” and “smart technology” instead of the word “robot” as recently as 2019.

However, IFA has undergone a significant transformation this year.

The organizers themselves have identified “robots” as one of the key exhibition themes for the year. The 5-day event which kicked off on Friday features an exhibition space dedicated to the theme of “Robotics Hub.”

Here, companies from all over the world, including South Korea, France, China, and Hong Kong, are showcasing their technological prowess.

French robot company Enchanted Tools unveiled a humanoid robot that interacts with people using an animated character’s face.

At the “IFA Next,” where startups gather, Korean robot companies showcased their technological innovations with a focus on “K-robot.” Here, eight Korean companies, including Huenit, which manufactures AI robot arms, and Neuromeka, a cooperative robot company, set up booths.

Throughout the exhibition this year, there was a noticeable concern among home appliance industry players regarding “sustainability” as many were trying to focus on energy-efficient appliances recognized by the European Union (EU).

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, for instance, unveiled washing machines that boasted energy efficiency improvements of 40 percent beyond the A-grade rating.

Chinese companies also made a significant comeback at the exhibition.

Among the 2,059 participating companies this year, Chinese firms accounted for 62 percent.

Honor, a Chinese smartphone company that separated from Huawei, challenged the foldable phone market with its own version. TCL and Hisense introduced new products in the mini LED display and micro LED TV segments.