Haier Opens China's First AI Home Robotics Experience Store in Qingdao

Chinese home appliance manufacturer Haier has launched what state media described as China's first AI home robot experience center in Qingdao, Shandong province. The physical storefront features a multi-scenario lineup of domestic robotics covering mobility assistance, laundry handling, floor cleaning, companion care, and cooking. Among the commercially available hardware is Haier's W3 walking-assist exoskeleton series, including a newly launched model tailored for elderly women. The initiative reflects a broader push by Chinese manufacturers to transition embodied AI from laboratory demonstrations into practical household products.

For years, consumer robotics in China have struggled to cross the chasm between promotional concept videos and actual household adoption. By establishing an offline retail space equipped with gait assessment tracks and interactive scenarios, Haier is testing whether direct physical interaction can overcome consumer skepticism and accelerate the commercialization of embodied AI hardware and eldercare robotics.

Chinese home appliance giant Haier has opened what state media described as the country's first dedicated AI home robot experience center in Qingdao, Shandong province, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of embodied domestic robotics. The offline showroom presents a multi-scenario matrix of domestic robotics spanning personal mobility, household chores, cooking, and elderly care, according to a report published by People's Daily. The initiative represents an effort by domestic manufacturers to move robotics from isolated technical demonstrations toward practical, consumer-facing applications. Among the primary exhibits is Haier's walking-assist exoskeleton lineup. The flagship W3 model features the company's proprietary AFI wearable system, constructed from carbon fiber and titanium alloy with a dual-motor chassis weighing 1.75 kilograms. Following feedback from elderly female users regarding the fit of the standard version, Haier developed and officially released the 'W3 Mom Edition.' The store provides gait evaluation systems and test tracks—including slopes and stairs—to help users calibrate and test the devices. Beyond mobility hardware, the facility showcases several embodied home automation prototypes. The 'Haiwa' housework robot is designed to identify fabric colors and materials, retrieve laundry autonomously from washing machines, and manage the washing and drying cycle. An embodied cleaning robot demonstrates floor decluttering and dynamic tool-switching based on detected stain types. Additionally, Haier exhibited companion robots equipped with escort tracking and fall-detection alarms, alongside an AI cooking robot. The establishment of physical experience centers addresses a longstanding bottleneck in the home robotics sector: the gap between online marketing demonstrations and physical user trust. Municipal authorities in Qingdao view the platform as a key mechanism for transferring laboratory-developed robotics into consumer living spaces. While walking exoskeletons represent immediate commercial offerings for China's expanding elderly demographic, complex multi-step chore automation remains in early deployment stages as manufacturers work to balance hardware costs with household reliability.