While CES 2026 typically showcases groundbreaking innovations from leading tech companies, the true thrill often lies in uncovering those peculiar, unexpected gadgets that prompt a bewildered “What even is this?”
This article highlights the most eccentric products unearthed at CES 2026, ranging from an interactive, AI-driven panda to Razer’s holographic anime companion, alongside numerous other oddities that demand a second glance.
A Desktop AI Anime Companion That Observes Your Every Move
Razer’s Project AVA, initially presented last year as an AI coach for esports, has transformed into a novel 5.5-inch animated holographic desk assistant. This companion offers help with gaming tactics, boosting productivity, managing daily tasks, and even providing personal guidance. It serves dual roles as a gaming partner and a daily helper. Users can select various characters, including the anime character Kira or the robust Zane. These virtual avatars boast realistic motions, eye-tracking capabilities, expressive visages, and lip-syncing for authentic interactions. However, its most striking feature is its continuous surveillance—the gadget monitors both you and your display via its integrated camera. While somewhat unsettling, it remains a conceptual product, with no definite assurance of commercial release.
An AI Baby Panda Robot Designed for Comforting Older Adults
An’An, the newest AI companion from Mind with Heart Robotics, merges an endearing appearance with a significant purpose: enhancing elder care.
This panda robot is equipped with advanced sensors across its body, allowing it to respond organically to physical contact. Its emotional AI learns your voice, interaction patterns, and preferences, becoming more tailored to you over time. It offers continuous emotional comfort to alleviate feelings of isolation. Furthermore, for elderly individuals facing memory challenges, An’An aids in maintaining engagement, prompts them about routine activities, and keeps caregivers informed about their welfare.
An AI-Powered, Noise-Reducing $500 Ice Cube Maker
GoveeLife, a smart home appliance manufacturer, introduced a smart countertop ice maker at CES that employs AI to ensure quiet operation. The company’s proprietary AI NoiseGuard technology aims to significantly reduce the typical disruptive sounds produced by nugget ice machines. This AI identifies when the machine is about to freeze and generate noise, initiating an automatic defrost cycle before sounds become prominent.
The Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro produces fresh ice in merely six minutes and can yield up to 60 pounds daily, with a 3.5-pound ice bucket capacity. Priced at $499.99, it’s a considerable investment, but for those looking to enhance their ice production, it will be available from January 15th at Amazon, govee.com, Walmart, and Best Buy.
An Ultrasonic Chef’s Knife That Vibrates for Effortless Slicing
This particular kitchen tool might be perceived as either frivolous or highly practical, depending on individual opinion. Diverging from conventional knives, this offering from Seattle Ultrasonics incorporates a blade that oscillates more than 30,000 times per second, enabling it to glide through food effortlessly. This vibrational mechanism effectively makes the knife perform significantly sharper than its actual physical edge, simplifying tasks such as cutting vegetables, meats, or bread for culinary enthusiasts. The company asserts that these vibrations are imperceptible—neither visible, audible, nor felt in the handle.
Priced at $399, the knife is currently open for preorders.
A Musical Lollipop That Delivers Ice Spice Directly to Your Mind
Given the existence of musical toothbrushes, why not extend the concept to music-playing lollipops? Lollipop Star unveiled its innovative confectionery at CES, which transmits music via bone conduction directly into your mouth. This technology functions by sending vibrations through your skull bones straight to your inner ear. Beyond the auditory experience, these lollipops also offer a burst of fruity taste. Consumers can select from three artist-themed flavors: Ice Spice (peach), Akon (blueberry), and Armani White (lime).
The WALL-E-Inspired Robot That Secures Your Home and Accompanies You on Adventures
Zeroth Robotics debuted the W1 at CES, a robot bearing a striking resemblance to WALL-E.
Positioned as a programmable family companion, the W1, priced at $4,999 according to the company’s site, provides 24/7 AI-driven security, 360-degree mobile monitoring, and integrates with smart home systems to deliver immediate smoke and intrusion notifications. It’s also promoted as an adventure partner capable of carrying camping equipment, shadowing you around a campsite to capture photos as a family photographer, and offering portable power for on-the-go entertainment. Curiously, the company omitted any mention of the robot’s ability to sort refuse or collect treasures—a feature we believe would have been fitting.
An Egg-Shaped Device for Hormone Tracking
This ovate device is capable of evaluating your reproductive health hormones, requiring only a urine sample.
Mira’s $249 Ultra4 Hormone Monitor facilitates straightforward at-home testing: one simply urinates on the provided wand and inserts it into the device. The monitor then processes your results, yielding data on four key reproductive hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G), and pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PdG). Tracking these hormones not only identifies your six most fertile days but also offers diagnostic insights into conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), perimenopause, and menopause.
Quite ‘egg-cellent,’ indeed.
This article has been updated since its initial publication to feature additional unusual gadgets.