BERLIN — LG Electronics opened its largest showcase at IFA 2026 with a humanoid robot conducting an orchestra of home appliances, signaling a strategic push to position artificial intelligence as the centerpiece of its European expansion.
The South Korean company transformed the entrance of its 3,745-square-meter booth at Messe Berlin into what it calls the “LG AI Orchestra.” A 16-meter-wide screen lifted like a stage curtain to reveal LG CLOiD, a humanoid dressed in a black tuxedo and bow tie, raising its arms to conduct refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, laptops, and air conditioners arranged like musicians. The performance encapsulates LG’s “Zero Labor Home” vision, where AI coordinates devices and services to minimize household chores.
Beyond the theatrical entrance, the booth presented a more immediate future: a fully furnished living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom demonstrating how the ThinQ ON hub and ThinQ Claw AI agent manage appliances by space. The company plans to begin beta testing ThinQ Claw in Korea as early as this month, with a full launch expected within the year.
Seven appliances target European living constraints
LG highlighted seven home appliances designed to address the specific constraints of European homes — limited space, strict energy regulations, and growing demand for multifunctional devices. The lineup reflects research from Grand View Research, Mordor Intelligence, and NIQ/GfK pointing to energy efficiency, convenience, and space savings as key purchasing factors.
The next-generation LG SIGNATURE refrigerator introduces LLM-based conversational AI to premium kitchens. Visitors can interact through natural voice commands, asking for guidance on ingredient storage. A 6.8-inch LCD display supports AI-powered cooling management, while the AI Fresh feature monitors temperature fluctuations and can pre-cool the interior up to two hours before an anticipated door opening.
A new washing machine scheduled for European launch this year uses up to 70 percent less energy than the minimum requirement for an A-grade rating. Paired with a premium dryer achieving A-grade status under the latest standards, the washer leverages LG’s Direct Drive Motor and Dual Inverter Heat Pump technology. TÜV Rheinland has independently certified the motor for up to 30 years of operation. AI Wash and AI Dry detect fabric types and adjust cycles automatically.
The new flagship 25-inch WashTower slots between existing 24-inch and 27-inch models, targeting European furniture configurations. The single-body washer-dryer builds on a lineup with global sales exceeding 3.2 million units, featuring Inverter Direct Drive technology in both units.
The Fit & Max French-door refrigerator employs Zero Clearance design for flush installation alongside cabinetry, with installation possible at approximately 4 mm from walls or cabinets. The Full Convert Drawer offers flexible refrigeration and freezing, while Dual FRESHConverter+ provides independently controlled compartments with preset temperature modes. The appliance received 2026 iF and Red Dot Design Awards.
The Fit & Max dishwasher delivers a 1-Hour Wash & Dry cycle using QuadWash Pro micro-bubble technology and Hybrid Air Dry for faster drying with reduced energy consumption. AI SenseClean uses a digital turbidity sensor to detect soil levels and automatically adjust water temperature, cycle time, and detergent amount. Key models across the lineup achieve A-grade energy ratings.
New product categories emerge
LG’s first hair dryer, the AirDew, marks the company’s entry into personal care. Powered by patented Triple Airfluidics technology, it generates high-velocity, multi-dimensional airflow for quick drying. Sensors detect the distance between the device and hair, adjusting airflow volume, speed, and pressure to maintain hair temperature around 55 degrees Celsius, reducing heat damage. The device automatically switches to standby when set down and powers off after five minutes of inactivity. ThinQ connectivity enables usage tracking and a pet mode. Launch countries and timing remain undecided.
The company also unveiled a steam-air oven emphasizing air-fry and steaming capabilities over microwave functions, with a width reduced by about 20 percent compared with existing lightwave ovens. A single-burner portable induction cooktop requiring no installation work targets European households sensitive to space constraints.
In the LG SIGNATURE space, a 30-inch wall oven with an internal AI camera recognizes ingredients and recommends cooking methods and times. It was displayed alongside an induction range with an integrated hood that retracts below the cooktop when not in use.
The downdraft hood captures smoke and odors directly at the cooking surface with a built-in motion sensor enabling touch-free control of extraction power. Its minimalist front-glass design suits open-plan living spaces.
Beyond appliances: AI home ecosystem
LG’s strategy extends beyond individual products. Athom, the Dutch smart home platform company acquired in 2024, plays a central role through its Homey platform, which connects more than 50,000 IoT devices. At IFA, LG demonstrated Homey as a home energy management system tying together AI appliances, HVAC, solar power, and energy storage systems on a single screen.
The ThinQ Pro platform extends this capability to business-to-business applications, allowing building managers to check appliance operating status, energy flows, and failures remotely. LG allocated 46 percent of its total booth area to client meetings, signaling ambitions to link AI home technology to builders, building management, and office projects.
ThinQ ON, a round device slightly larger than a palm, functions as the residential hub. With ThinQ Claw onboard, it goes beyond conventional voice control. Users can control appliances remotely through messaging apps like KakaoTalk or Telegram, and the system taps into web search and calendar information. For example, a user messaging “I’m headed back now” triggers location and arrival time calculation. The system might respond: “Shall I turn on the air conditioner at 26 degrees and run the air purifier in advance so it’s comfortable when you arrive home in 50 minutes?” Multi-day trips prompt suggestions to activate empty-home protection mode.
TVs cede the spotlight but not their relevance
While the humanoid took the symbolic entrance position traditionally reserved for ultra-large displays, TVs maintained a strong presence inside. OLED evo and Micro RGB TVs, gaming monitors, and the mobile StanbyME 2 Max filled a dedicated entertainment zone. The display strategy emphasized form factor flexibility — wallpaper-type TVs mounting flush to walls, art TVs presenting content like picture frames, and portable screens — positioning televisions as adaptable devices rather than fixed living room anchors.
Baek Sun-pil, managing director in charge of display customer experience at LG Electronics, said the company showcased “not only LG’s picture-quality technologies such as OLED and Micro RGB, but also a variety of devices and platforms that customers can enjoy depending on their situations,” adding that the focus was on “introducing entertainment solutions that enable a richer life.”
European market focus
The Fit & Max branding, previously limited to refrigerators, now extends to dishwashers and washer-dryer combinations. The concept pairs “Fit” — matching European standard cabinet depths of 600 mm — with “Max” — maximizing capacity, performance, and efficiency. The washer and dryer lineup minimizes front protrusion while maximizing internal capacity.
Energy efficiency anchors the European push. Beyond the washing machine achieving 70 percent energy reduction versus A-grade requirements, LG exhibited dishwashers cutting an additional 30 percent and refrigerators reducing energy use by 35 percent. The company expanded A-grade offerings into mid-price segments to broaden access to high-efficiency technology.
The exhibition runs through the week at Messe Berlin, with LG’s booth organized under the theme “Innovation in tune with you” and featuring approximately 150 key products.