Tuya Unveils “Doova,” an AI Robot for Older People Living Alone — Global Launch in April–June 2027, Price Undecided
IoT giant Tuya Smart showcased a home robot that combines monitoring and conversation at IFA 2026. The price has not been decided, and no sales in Japan have been announced.
Key points of this news
- In September 2026, Tuya Smart unveiled “Doova,” an AI companion robot for older people living alone, at IFA 2026. The product combines responding to calls for help, monitoring for falls and other incidents, controlling home appliances, and conversation in a single unit[1]
- According to the German-language release, the global launch is planned for Q2 2027. Germany is named as a key European market, and the price and business model have not been decided[2]
- There has been no official announcement regarding sales in Japan, Japanese-language support or Japan radio certification (Giteki) (as of October 2, 2026). It is not released in Japan[1]
On September 5, 2026 (US Eastern Time), Tuya Smart, a China-born IoT platform company (listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange), unveiled “Doova” at the consumer electronics trade show IFA 2026 in Berlin. The release positions Doova as “an AI home companion robot for seniors living independently”[1].
What can Doova do?
The main functions and specifications described in the English release are as follows[1].
- Responding to calls for help: Responds to the call “Hey Tuya, help.” It uses four microphones to locate the direction of the voice and, within a 60-second emergency response flow, sends a two-way video notification to family members
- Monitoring: Moves around the home using LiDAR (a sensor that measures distance with lasers) and reads posture through AI skeleton recognition. It also supports 360-degree room scans and sending safety reports to a smartphone
- Conversation: Uses a multimodal (handling voice, video and more together) large language model and promises natural dialogue that goes beyond simply answering commands. Facial expressions are shown on a 10.1-inch display
- Smart home integration: Using Tuya’s AIoT platform, lights, curtains, and kitchen and bathroom devices can be controlled by voice
- Body: Two-wheel drive with caster wheels. Automatically returns to its charging dock to recharge
- Planned future function: Finding lost items around the home
The German-language release also explains its privacy design. Wake-word detection is done on the device, and further processing is done in the cloud. Video recorded during patrols is to be kept on the device, and it is also said to have a physical microphone mute and individually configurable privacy zones[2].
- Name
- Doova[1]
- Manufacturer
- Tuya Smart (Tuya Global Inc, China-born, publicly listed)[1]
- Intended users
- Older people living independently (including those living alone)[1]
- Display and mobility
- 10.1-inch display / two-wheel drive + casters / LiDAR / automatic charging[1]
- Price
- Undecided (“price and business model have not yet been determined”)[2]
- Release timing
- Global launch planned for Q2 2027. Germany is named as a key European market[2]
- Availability in Japan
- Not released in Japan. No official announcement regarding sales in Japan, Japanese-language support or Japan radio certification (Giteki) (as of October 2, 2026)
What this means for readers in Japan
The releases make no mention of Japan[1][2]. When the editorial team searched for Doova on Google News Japan on October 2, 2026, we found no Japanese-language articles covering Doova itself. However, we cannot guarantee that the search was exhaustive.
Tuya is a company with a platform that powers smart appliances from other manufacturers. The fact that Doova is designed to control devices throughout the home can be read as a design that leverages this strength (this is the editorial team’s view).
Product: Tuya Doova
Sources and primary information
- Primary sourceTuya Smart, “Tuya Smart Unveils Doova at IFA 2026, an AI Home Companion Robot Designed to Support Independently Living Seniors” (PR Newswire, September 5, 2026)
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuya-smart-unveils-doova-at-ifa-2026-an-ai-home-companion-robot-designed-to-support-independently-living-seniors-302870623.htmlChecked: October 2, 2026 (functions, specifications, attached photo; no mention of price, release date or Japan) - Primary sourceTuya Global Inc, “IFA 2026: Tuya zeigt KI-Begleitroboter Doova für ein sichereres Zuhause” (German-language release, distributed by news aktuell, September 25, 2026; checked the version published on finanznachrichten.de)
https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2026-09/69673878-ifa-2026-tuya-zeigt-ki-begleitroboter-doova-fuer-ein-sichereres-zuhause-007.htmChecked: October 2, 2026 (source for release timing, undecided price and privacy design; viewed via a republishing site, so the original release itself has not been checked) - News coverageHumanoids Daily「Tuya Unveils Doova: An AI Companion Robot Targeting Elder Care and Smart Home Hubs」
https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/news/tuya-unveils-doova-an-ai-companion-robot-targeting-elder-care-and-smart-home-hubsOnly search results checked (article not opened)
Update history October 2, 2026: Published