It was inevitable that AI would be everywhere at IFA this year, but the smart home is where we’re really seeing action. SwitchBot, known for its quirky and clever home gadgets, launched three new AI-powered products this week: a smart home AI Hub, a colorful E Ink AI Art Frame, and two animated AI pets named Niko and Noa.
All-seeing AI
The SwitchBot AI Hub is a souped-up version of SwitchBot’s existing smart home hubs, which are designed to connect and control its Bluetooth devices, such as smart shades, locks, and lights. This model adds both on-device and cloud-based AI, working with SwitchBot’s cameras and sensors to capture, process, and interpret what’s happening in your home.
For example, SwitchBot says the hub could detect an event like “an elderly person falling” and use that as a trigger for an automation. This “event comprehension” uses a vision language model (VLM), which requires a cloud connection and a subscription. Meanwhile, the on-device AI can identify faces, pets, vehicles, furniture, and more — helping you keep track of things. The company says you can even ask it things like, “Show me where I left my phone,” and it will pull up relevant footage.
Specs-wise, the AI Hub is a big upgrade over the Hub 3, featuring dual-band Wi-Fi, extended Bluetooth, and 32GB of built-in storage (expandable to 1TB). It can manage up to eight 2K cameras, stream locally via RTSP, and display footage on a monitor. The hub can support more than 100 SwitchBot devices and bridges up to 30 products into a Matter ecosystem. It’s powered by a 6T AI chip.
E-paper meets AI
SwitchBot is also entering a new category with the AI Art Frame, a colorful E Ink Spectra 6 display that blends home decor with AI creativity. You can upload your own photos or generate artwork using prompts in the SwitchBot app, powered by the company’s locally trained AI model.
Available in 7.3-, 13.3-, and 31.5-inch sizes, the frame fits into standard Ikea frames and runs on battery power, allowing for flexible placement. SwitchBot says it can last up to two years on a single charge.
Cuddly with a side of AI
And finally, SwitchBot is bringing an actual robot to IFA — well, two.
Noa and Niko are SwitchBot’s new AI pets, part of its Kata friends series. Described as soft-bodied household robots “designed for companionship,” videos of Noa and Niko show them flapping their arms and blinking their glowy blue eyes. They resemble fluffy penguins and, according to SwitchBot, they feature small wheels that allow them to move independently.
The company also says that the AI-powered bots can “recognize family members, respond to gestures and emotions, and show feelings such as happiness, sadness, or jealousy,” as well as learn your household routines.
SwitchBot has not announced pricing or a release date for any of these products. However, given the company’s track record of turning ambitious prototypes — such as its multitasking CES robot — into real products, these gadgets have a high likelihood of making it to market. I’ll be getting hands-on time with all of them at IFA this week.