People visit IFA Berlin 2026 in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

　　From kitchen robots to smart homes and connected jewelry, this year"s IFA Berlin offers a glimpse of a near future increasingly shaped by Chinese innovation.

　　BERLIN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- From robots stepping into kitchens to living rooms that anticipate daily routines and jewelry that connects partners across distances, this year"s IFA Berlin, one of the world"s largest trade fairs for consumer electronics and home appliances, offers a glimpse into a near future increasingly shaped by Chinese innovation.

　　Of the more than 1,900 exhibitors at the five-day trade show, nearly half are from China, making their presence across the event hard to miss. More significant than their scale, however, was a broader shift in how they innovate -- moving technologies more quickly from lab prototypes to commercial applications, building interconnected home ecosystems, and developing personalized consumer tech.

　　People watch a robot combat at the exhibition area of Unitree at IFA Berlin 2026 in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

　　ROBOTS ENTERING REAL LIFE

　　Humanoid robots offered perhaps the most vivid sign of that shift. At the booth of Unitree Robotics, several humanoids moved in formation to the beat of music, while another took on a far more ordinary task: making a sandwich. It picked up slices of bread, added lettuce and neatly stacked the layers. The futuristic technology suddenly felt unexpectedly familiar. Nearby, Dobot Robotics" panda-shaped robots danced from side to side, drawing visitors with its playful moves.