The Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University congratulates the project team led by Prof. Huang Xinyan on winning the Best of Innovation Award at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 for their AI-powered firefighting robot.
The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the world’s largest technology events, and its annual CES Innovation Awards recognize outstanding achievements in design and engineering. This year, more than 3,600 entries competed across 36 categories. A total of 338 products received Innovation Awards, and only 30 (less than 1%) earned the top distinction, Best of Innovation—among them, the BEEE team’s smart firefighting robot in the “Products in Support of Human Security for All” category. The award is presented by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and judged by an expert panel on criteria including engineering functionality, aesthetic design, innovation, and safety. Other recipients this year include leading international brands such as Qualcomm, Samsung, HP, and LG.
The award-winning robot was developed by Widemount Dynamics Tech Limited, a BEEE-affiliated startup jointly led by:
- Prof. Huang Xinyan, Associate Professor – Co-founder and Chief Scientist
- Mr. Wang Meng, PhD candidate – Founder and CEO
- Dr Zhang Yuxin, Research Assistant Professor – Co-founder and Director of Development
After three years of development, the team launched an autonomous, AI-driven firefighting solution that:
- Uses mm-wave radar SLAM to navigate smoke-filled environments without GPS or vision
- Employs deep-learning modules to identify burning materials in real time and select the optimal extinguishing agent
- Measures flame power with onboard sensors and streams live data to command centers for rapid decision-making
- Integrates a closed-loop vision–actuation system to lock onto and suppress fires without human intervention
- Retrofits existing inspection robots with instant fire detection and suppression capabilities to contain incipient fires, reducing human risk and asset loss
The team’s innovation has also earned major accolades, including:
- 2025 Greater Bay Area Innovation Awards – Technology Invention Award (Gold)
- 2025 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions – Gold Medal with Jury Congratulations
- 2023 China International College Students’ Innovation Competition – Gold Medal
BEEE extends its warmest congratulations to Prof. Huang, Mr. Wang, Dr Zhang, and the Widemount Dynamics team on this world-class achievement that advances human safety and demonstrates PolyU’s leadership in engineering innovation.
URLs:
https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/innovation-awards/
https://www.ces.tech/press-releases/cta-announces-ces-innovation-awards-2026-honorees
https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/smart-firefighting-robot/
www.en.widemount.com
