Chinese firm Tuya used this month’s IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin to show its latest advances in physical AI, including the Doova home companion robot.

Designed for seniors living alone, Doova moves beyond the traditional roles of security devices and household robots, combining proactive safety protection, emotionally intelligent companionship and seamless smart home coordination to support a safer, more connected and more comfortable daily life.

Doova is equipped with LDS lidar, a four-microphone sound source localisation system and AI vision-based skeletal recognition algorithms. If a user falls or encounters another emergency, they can call out “Hey Tuya, help”, and Doova will quickly locate the user, move to their side and assess the situation in real time.

If no response is detected within 60 seconds, Doova automatically initiates an emergency response workflow, sending a two-way live video call alert to family members so assistance can be arranged without delay.

Doova combines emotional companionship, daily assistance and wellness support in a single AI-powered home companion designed for older adults. Its conversational ability is powered by a multimodal large language model, allowing it to hold natural, free-flowing conversations rather than respond only to fixed commands.

During quiet moments at home, Doova can hold conversations, offer company and play entertainment content to ease feelings of loneliness. In day-to-day life, it can help interpret complex bills and letters, identify potential scam risks and guide users through operating smart appliances. For health and routine management, Doova can provide reminders for medication, weather updates and schedules, while also engaging users with light interactive games.

Over time, Doova learns user preferences and becomes more personally helpful in everyday areas such as meal suggestions, gardening advice and outfit recommendations. In the future, Tuya (www.tuya.com) also plans to introduce value-added services including autonomous item-finding throughout the home, helping reduce anxiety around misplaced belongings.

When users are away from home, Doova helps make home monitoring simpler and less intrusive.

Unlike conventional patrol-style security devices that follow walls in fixed routes and can feel like overt surveillance, Doova uses a node-oriented coverage designed around the centre of each room. It can move from space to space on a dual-wheel drive with caster wheels, perform a 360-degree scan at each location, and automatically generate a safety report that is delivered to the user’s mobile phone, making it easier to stay informed about conditions throughout the home from anywhere. Doova also supports autonomous docking and recharging, so monitoring continues without day-to-day intervention.

Powered by Tuya’s AIoT ecosystem, Doova serves as a central smart home control hub. With simple voice commands, users can coordinate connected devices across the home, including lighting, curtains, kitchen appliances and bathroom devices, without complicated setup or operations, lowering the barrier to smart living for seniors.

Doova is designed to feel like a natural part of the household rather than a piece of equipment. Its soft, curved form moves away from the cold, mechanical look often associated with robots, allowing it to blend more naturally into living spaces. The device height is optimised for interaction whether a user is standing, seated or reclining, while a 25.6cm high-definition display and dynamic facial expressions make conversations feel warmer and more engaging.