EdTech related products from CES 2026 by Jeff Ingraham

EdTech related products from CES 2026 by Jeff Ingraham

Back in the day, Macworld in San Francisco at the Moscone Center brought us a keynote by Steve Jobs and almost every new product for education and Apple products. Sadly we don’t have Steve Jobs or the old Macworlds around any more but the closest thing we have in January is the Consumer Electronics Show. 

So, this week in Las Vegas, CES 2026 happened. The conference showcased a plethora of cool futuristic gadgets, and EdTech Products. While CES is often a place for giant TVs and electric cars, the 2026 show let us know that Lego and artificial intelligence and robotics continue to change how students learn and teachers teach.

Here are a bunch of new technologies I think are cool for your classroom and or your life! In Nebraska!

AI for Everyone and everywhere It was literally infused into almost every product and the show.
One big announcement was processors and video cards  from AMD and Nvidia and AMD committed $150 million to bring AI into more classrooms. They introduced the Ryzen AI 400 chips which is, a new type of processor designed to run AI programs directly on a laptop without needing a fast internet connection.

Lego introduced its Smart Play bricks with built-in sensors and lights, and speakers. These “Smart Bricks” can respond to how they are built or moved. In a classroom, these could be used to teach coding or engineering, allowing your students to see their physical creations react to the digital instructions they write.  

A Company named Flint brought out Plant based  “Paper Batteries” that  are made from renewable plant-based cellulose, the same material used to make paper (hence the name Paper Battery).  They had demonstration where model trains were powered by these paper batteries.

Accessibility was a big theme this year and Real-Time Translation was everywhere and can now handle over 50 languages instantly. This is a game-changer for ESL students, allowing them to participate in class discussions in their native language while the teacher hears them in English.

Robots robots robots…

We saw “Physical AI” where Humanoid robots are everywhere from a wide range of companies like Boston Dynamics Atlas which showed off human-like hands and actions and behaviors.  LG brought out a Personal Robot as your helper around the house or classroom and the costs continue to drop and the options and brands continue to expand exponentially. While these are mostly for factories, the technology is trickling down to the home and the school. 

AI Notetakers: 

Devices that record audio and lectures and meetings and then summarize the entire lecture into a study guide by the time you reach your next class.OMI Note taker features “Ask-Learn-Do” as a workflow and has a low cost ($80) and a wide range of capabilities It looks like a piece of jewelry the kids can wear or hang from their notebooks.   

For us Nebraskans, John Deere brought out AI Powered Farm and AgBot (this was a new word for me) Technologies which are sure to be showing up in Agtech classrooms across the state. I am constantly amazed at how High tech farms are becoming!  Drones, GPS, Ai, all improving farming efficiency, safety and productivity!

Wearable Glasses and Immersive AR and VR using built in cameras and spatial computing, One demo that spoke to me was for history classes which could “teleport” students to a 3D reconstruction of ancient Rome like the old Hololens devices several ESU’s across the state had but at a much lower price and with greatly enhanced capabilities!

Here is a list of some of the AI glasses we saw at CS..

• RayNeo Air 4 Pro: 
• Rokid AI Glasses Style: 
• XGIMI Memomind: 
• Xreal 1S:
• Asus ROG Xreal R1:.
• Loomos AI Glasses: 
• Vuzix Ultralite Pro:

Digital Twins was a new concept to me. “Digital Twins” are virtual copies of real-world machines. Vocational education students can practice fixing a jet engine or replacing batteries on a Tesla or repairing a  Combine or fixing a complex electrical grid in a virtual world where mistakes don’t cost thousands of dollars or endanger humans.

New meaning to Big Screen TV…

Imagine the display in your classroom or in your lecture halls using Wallpaper TV 30 ft wide and just a few millimeters thick. Huge wall sized OLED displays like the one on the wall of the Community Engagement Center at UNO but inexpensive enough to put in your classrooms, 

In the world of social emotional learning, AI Pets like Tombot’s “Jennie” puppy stole hearts and you could see the joy on people’s faces as this brought real happiness with robotic companionship.  Used in Nursing homes and preschools lets kids interact with a realistic interactive pup. 

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold was celebrated as the “Best Mobile Tech,” of the conference and while I have had my Samsung Fold for years now, this is the next step forward and “1 fold better!”, bringing Ipad sized devices that fold up the size of a standard smart phone. 

So lots to see and enjoy at CES 2026 with a wide range of products heading your way!