The IGRIS-C robot.
Innovation once again takes center stage as CES 2026 is underway in Las Vegas with top attractions ranging from robotics and artificial intelligence leading the way.
The world’s largest technology showcase, produced by the Arlington-based Consumer Technology Association, feels less like a gadget expo and more like a global innovation summit where AI, mobility, health, sustainability, and immersive experiences converge.
“Each year the technology advances, particularly regarding accessibility,” said Alexandria resident Douglas Goist, who works for NSite, a subsidiary of the National Industries for the Blind.
Goist and NSite founder Jonathan Lucas attended CES, which features everything from massive flagship displays to founder-led startup demos.
Goist, who is blind, met with several companies focused on advancements in accessibility, including HapWare. HapWare is a wearable that allows people who are blind or neurodiverse to understand nonverbal communication cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language using AI and haptic technology.
“Anything that can improve the quality of life for individuals is a good thing,” said Goist, who wears Meta glasses and saw an increase in smart glasses by several companies.
Artificial intelligence is no longer the “next big thing.” In 2026, AI appears not as a standalone category but as embedded intelligence across nearly every sector.
Major exhibitors are showcasing AI devices that process data locally for speed, privacy and resilience. Generative AI is now embedded into consumer hardware, vehicles, productivity tools and healthcare platforms, both for people and pets. Birdfy, a maker of camera-equipped birdhouses and feeders, was a popular attraction.
A noticeable difference this year is that companies are launching deployable products, not prototypes, and conversations have shifted toward governance, trust, and power efficiency. The AI race is now about scale, regulation readiness, and real-world adoption, not novelty.
Eureka Park, a specialized section of CES, features over a thousand startups from around the world. Showcased are AI-driven diagnostics and digital health, climate and energy technologies, robotics and autonomous systems, accessibility and assistive tech, and smart sensors and next‑generation hardware.
In addition to host CTA and its foundation, other Northern Virginia area exhibitors include Virtual Health Associates (Burke), VibeBrux and Sheeva.AI (Vienna), Spectrohm, Pixalate, and Eye Chip Corp. (McLean), National Waste and Recycling Foundation, A2 Labs, and Edge Cortix (Arlington), IriHealth and George Mason University (Fairfax), Comscore (Reston) and Alarm.com Inc. (Tysons).
As expected, Amazon has a significant presence showcasing advances in consumer devices along with its AWS cloud services.
Other popular attractions include vehicle tech and advanced mobility. Highlights include in‑car AI assistants, advanced driver-assistance systems and smart city mobility infrastructure.
Featured digital health innovations include remote patient monitoring devices cleared or nearing FDA pathways; AI-powered diagnostics for imaging, cardiology, and chronic disease management; personalized wellness platforms integrating wearables with predictive analytics; and hospital-at-home technologies designed to reduce strain on healthcare systems.
Said Lucas, “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed but the technology is advancing with the goal of improving the lives of individuals, particularly those with accessibility needs.”
For more information on CES exhibitors and advances in technology, visit www.CES.tech.
Alexandria residents Douglas Goist and Jonathan Lucas, at right, with HapWare founders Bryan Duarte, a Sterling resident, and Jack Walters Jan. 6 at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.