RiseLink Technologies CEO Presents Smart Home Future at CES 2026

At the CES 2026 event held in Las Vegas, Dr. Pengfei Zhang, the Founder and CEO of RiseLink Technologies Inc., delivered an enlightening presentation on the future of smart homes. He joined industry leaders from Bosch, ecobee, Amazon Devices, and EY for a panel titled, "The Latest in Smart Devices and Smart Home Integration." During the discussion, he outlined a transformative vision characterized by enhanced connectivity, ultra-low-power system designs, and the promise of intelligent on-device processing.

Dr. Zhang emphasized the urgent need for a paradigm shift as smart homes evolve to accommodate a multitude of constantly connected devices. He argued that the existing smart home architecture could lead to reliability issues and even consumer distrust if not sufficiently adapted. He stated, "The future smart home will not be cloud-dependent by default. Instead, it will be Matter-ready, operate intelligently at the edge, and be designed considering real-world constraints such as power, latency, and most importantly, user privacy."

Three Core Pillars of Future Smart Homes

In his presentation, Dr. Zhang highlighted three key technologies that will shape the next generation of smart homes:

1. Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity: With the increasing number of smart devices, the importance of dual-band Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure cannot be overstated. This technology provides enhanced capacity and efficiency, allowing for stable performance across both bandwidth-heavy devices and those requiring quick response times.

2. Ultra-Low-Power System Design: To achieve widespread adoption, smart devices must operate independently from power sources. RiseLink’s innovative system-on-chip architecture prioritizes ultra-low power operation, enabling sensors, controllers, and interactive devices to function for years on a single battery while maintaining high performance levels.

3. Edge AI for Privacy-First Intelligence: In the face of rising concerns regarding data security, Dr. Zhang positioned edge AI as a core component of modern smart home design. By enabling local processing of voice, vision, and sensor data, RiseLink enhances intelligence while ensuring sensitive user data remains private within the home.

Real-Time Conversational AI

Dr. Zhang provided a live demonstration of these concepts through RiseLink’s latest Edge-AI Wi-Fi processors, which allow for real-time conversational AI directly on devices. This form of processing ensures swift response times, decreased reliance on cloud services, and robust privacy assurances.

Among the highlights was the introduction of Choo Choo the Dragon, an interactive AI reading companion designed for children. This innovative character engages kids through natural dialogue to foster interactive storytelling and learning while keeping all conversations processed locally and privately.

Dr. Zhang remarked, "The integration of high-performance Wi-Fi 6 with on-device AI is redefining how individuals interact with their smart environments. Products like Choo Choo the Dragon epitomize that intelligent, conversational encounters can be not only responsive but also energy-efficient and privacy-preserving."

About Dr. Pengfei Zhang and RiseLink Technologies

Dr. Zhang’s extensive background includes a rich 20-year track record in the global semiconductor sector. As an alumnus of Tsinghua University and UCLA, he has steered RiseLink Technologies towards becoming a vanguard in wireless connectivity solutions focused on edge AI. Under his leadership, the company has established itself as a pivotal innovator in crafting ultra-low-power wireless solutions that fuel the next wave of smart devices around the globe.