This is the third episode of the CES 2026 series. If you haven’t listened to the previous two episodes yet, make sure to start there first. In this episode, we leave the automotive halls and explore the most important non-automotive technology trends that shaped CES 2026:
- The Revenge of the Analog
- Humanoid Robots and AI
- Smart Glasses as a new HMI layer
- Household appliances as smart-home computing hubs
- Exoskeletons and human augmentation
- The rise of Physical AI
One of the most striking observations at CES 2026 was what could be called “The Revenge of the Analog.” Amid AI demos, immersive displays and touch-heavy interfaces, some of the longest queues formed around surprisingly low-tech experiences: pinball machines, physical chess boards, and tangible interaction. These were not nostalgic gimmicks but strong signals. As digital systems become more complex, users increasingly value tangible, haptic, and embodied interaction. The future is not digital or analog, it is digitally intelligent systems expressed through human-friendly, physical interfaces.
Another major takeaway: robotics and artificial intelligence have fully converged. Robots are no longer just machines that move, they perceive, interpret, learn and adapt. At CES, robots appeared as embodied AI systems designed to create real value for humans by taking over repetitive, physically demanding or cognitively exhausting tasks. The conversation is shifting from automation to interaction, from technology as spectacle to technology as real human value creation.
Smart glasses are also maturing into a new everyday interface. Instead of bulky XR headsets, lightweight and socially acceptable glasses are emerging as ambient, always-on interfaces that provide context-aware information only when needed, quietly bridging the gap between humans and intelligent environments.
In parallel, household appliances are evolving into central computing hubs for the smart home. Refrigerators, ovens and washing machines are becoming connected, AI-enabled anchors that coordinate devices, services and data locally, improving responsiveness, privacy and ease of use.
Exoskeletons highlighted a growing focus on physical human augmentation. Rather than replacing people, these systems support movement, reduce physical strain and help address labor shortages and aging workforces. They represent a clear shift toward humane technology that works with the human body rather than replacing it.
Finally, CES showcased the rise of Physical AI, intelligent systems embedded in physical machines that perceive the real world, reason about complex situations and act in real time. From robots and drones to autonomous vehicles and smart appliances, AI is moving beyond the digital realm and into the physical world.

This is Part 2 of my CES 2026 series and we’re going all-in on Automotive. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode covering the show overall, start there first. At CES 2026, one message became unmistakable: the future of mobility is no longer shaped only by car companies. Software, AI, sensing, and cross-industry innovation are redefining what a vehicle is and how we interact with it.
In this episode, we explore four big areas:
1) Automotive & Mobility Trends
2) Automotive Technologies
3) Automotive Products
4) HMI Trends
Overall, CES 2026 signals a turning point: less screen hype, more human-centered thinking — and a mobility ecosystem increasingly shaped beyond traditional automotive boundaries.

CES 2026 is officially over… but the real work starts now: making sense of what happened in Las Vegas. In this first episode of a four-part series, I step back from the noise, the miles, and the caffeine to share a structured, no-hype reflection on the show, especially through an automotive, mobility, HMI, and AI lens.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- Who was there and who wasn’t: Why Big Tech dominated, while traditional automakers largely stayed away
- The shift in mobility narratives: Two-wheelers and micromobility everywhere, cars… strangely quiet
- Three personal highlights
- Big disappointments
- My creepiest moment
- What CES didn’t talk about

Software Defined Vehicles have evolved far beyond a technical buzzword, they represent a cultural transformation reshaping the automotive industry at its core. Today’s vehicles are no longer static machines but dynamic digital ecosystems: always connected, always updateable, and always in flux. But amid the promise of centralized architectures, OTA updates, AI-driven functions, and new business models, one insight becomes clearer than ever: none of this works without understanding the human behind the wheel.
In this episode, I share my reflections from recent SDV conferences, not a classic recap, but a deeper exploration of the tensions, ambitions, and unanswered questions currently defining the field. Together we unpack three dimensions:
- General Reflections: How technology, business models, and HMI/UX thinking must evolve to support software-defined mobility
- SDV Strategies: Why SDVs are the umbrella concept for the automotive industry’s shift from mechanical artifact to digital mobility platform
- Use Cases & UX: How personalization, AI-based assistance, OTA-driven evolution, and ecosystem integration redefine what a vehicle is and why the UX complexity is still far from understood.
From centralized computing to predictive interaction design, from subscription-driven business models to the cultural challenge of merging mechanical and software mindsets, this episode dives into what is truly at stake. Because in the end, the SDV is not just a new kind of car. It’s a new kind of relationship between humans and technology.

In this episode, we take a deep look into the future of automotive Human-Machine Interaction. Five years after launching the Human–Technology Podcast, now ranked among Germany’s top technology podcasts and one of the leading non-English UX/UI podcasts worldwide, I explore the three core topics that will define the next decade of HMI.
We examine how automation fundamentally changes the relationship between driver and vehicle, from responsibility sharing and situation awareness to the loss of human competence. We discuss how artificial intelligence will make HMIs more adaptive, more dialog-driven, and radically different to develop. And we analyze why Chinese HMIs, while technologically impressive, require a completely new design philosophy for European users: linguistically, visually, functionally, and culturally.
This episode raises many of the questions our industry urgently needs to address. Some I can answer today, others can only be solved together, in real projects, with real users, vehicles, and data. If you or your team are facing similar challenges or are developing new HMI concepts: feel free to reach out. The future of HMI is not observed, it is created. Together.

It’s one of the great paradoxes of our time: the more we optimize, the less we truly gain. We invent efficient machines and use them more. We save time, only to fill it with more work. We consume smarter, yet end up consuming more.
In this episode of The Human-Technology Podcast I explore the rebound effect, the hidden mechanism that quietly undermines our progress. From fuel-efficient cars that became heavy SUVs, to digital tools that promised freedom but delivered overload, this phenomenon reveals a deep truth about human behavior and technology.
Together, we’ll unpack:
- What the rebound effect really is – and why it occurs in every domain, from mobility to work.
- How psychological, economic, and technological forces feed it.
- What UX and HMI designers can do to turn efficiency into genuine relief, not just new complexity.
This is an episode about responsibility, awareness, and design ethics, about seeing efficiency not as an invitation to do more, but as a chance to do better. Because not every improvement is progress. Sometimes, true progress lies in what we choose to leave out.

Luxury used to be visible: expensive cars, rare watches, golden skylines. Possession meant status; exclusivity was the goal. Today, that picture has changed. Luxury is no longer loud, shiny, or ostentatious, it has become quiet, minimal, and profoundly human.
In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, we'll explore the new language of luxury: intuition instead of instruction, reduction instead of overstimulation, trust instead of control, and sensuality instead of show effect.
It’s about what remains when surfaces disappear, experiences that feel natural, respectful, and emotionally resonant. Technology, in this sense, is no longer the stage but the silent partner. It steps back behind the experience, relieves the human mind, and creates space for what truly matters: mental sovereignty.
Quiet Luxury is redefining the way we think about design, user experience, and human–machine interaction, and true luxury lies in being understood without having to explain yourself.
Key Questions in this Episode:
– How is luxury defined in the digital age?
– Why is intuition the new status symbol?
– How can technology make luxury tangible without taking the spotlight?
– And what does “wearing fur on the inside” mean in the context of UX and HMI?
Modern luxury is mental lightness, technology that doesn’t try to impress us, but helps us live better. Quiet Luxury isn’t less, it’s more conscious. And perhaps that’s what true progress really means.

When most people talk about Artificial Intelligence, they think of ChatGPT, spectacular image generators, or clever smartphone assistants. But AI has long since moved beyond the headlines. It already manages driver assistance systems, controls energy flows in electric drivetrains, and adapts infotainment to our personal habits, quietly, efficiently, and often unnoticed.
In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, we dive deep beneath the surface of the AI iceberg. We explore different types of AI far beyond generative models, examine the boundaries and challenges shaping their development, and discuss three key trends that will fundamentally transform our relationship with technology:
- the rise from generative to agentic AI
- the shift from a human to a machine internet
- the imperative of human-centered design
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic vision, it is today’s reality. The decisive question is not if it will change our lives, but how we will shape this change.

IAA MOBILITY 2025 in Munich showed once again that it is no longer just a car show, it has become Europe’s leading platform for mobility and technology. With more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries and over half a million visitors, the event highlighted global trends and pressing questions shaping the industry.
In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of IAA 2025 and explore the five key themes that defined the show:
- China vs. Europe: the rising strength of Chinese OEMs and how German brands respond
- Software-defined Vehicles: from cars as hardware products to updateable, connected platforms
- Battery Technologies: the race for range, speed, and supply chain sovereignty
- In-Cabin Sensing: from driver monitoring to holistic occupant awareness
- Artificial Intelligence: between real progress and AI-washing
We’ll also look at the tension between Summit and Open Space, the significance of missing players like Tesla and Toyota, and what IAA means in comparison to Shanghai, Detroit, and CES Las Vegas.
My conclusion: the future of mobility is being negotiated on multiple stages at once and IAA remains Europe’s benchmark for how competitive and credible the automotive industry truly is. The battle is fierce, but far from decided.

I haven’t had a vacation yet, but I’ve been working intensely: on my next book, on exciting projects and with my appointment as Honorary Professor at FH Aachen, I’ve also experienced a true highlight.
In this episode, everything revolves around IFA 2025 in Berlin. I was on site, gathered impressions, and will put into perspective what really mattered: from smart glasses and rings as new HMIs, to robots in all shapes and forms, to smart home solutions swinging between gimmick and real value. In addition, there are exciting numbers, trends, and a look at how IFA compares to CES in Las Vegas.
- Is IFA the German CES, or does it remain closer to the end customer?
- Which trends are just for show, and which truly change our daily lives?
- And what role do wearables play in the automotive context?
As always, I’ll conclude with a personal take: what really sticks, what’s overrated – and where I see the real opportunities.
Next week, we’ll continue with IAA 2025: cars, mobility, and a comparison between the German and Chinese automotive industries.