Smarter homes, better living

For many international students, China's technological edge is already part of everyday life. In restaurants, diners scan QR codes to view menus and place orders from their phones. Platforms like WeChat and Alipay — "super-apps" that combine messaging, payments, and a wide range of services — handle nearly every transaction. Meanwhile, deliveries often arrive within half an hour.

Yet at this year's Appliance & Electronics World Expo (AWE), Sophie Steinecke, an 18-year-old German student at Tongji University in Shanghai, encountered something even more advanced — home devices that could move on their own, respond to voice commands, and work together as part of fully integrated living spaces.

"I never imagined appliances could become this smart or connected to AI — at least not until AWE," Steinecke said.

On March 12, she joined a group of international students exploring the vast exhibition halls of AWE, one of China's leading showcases for smart home technology. As they moved from booth to booth, they reflected on how these innovations compared with the homes they had grown up in.

One display immediately caught Steinecke's attention: a small, round robot with a screen displaying a cheerful, blinking face.

"It moved its arms slowly and rolled forward as if responding to its surroundings, ready to start cleaning at any moment," she recalled. "It felt like such a cute household helper."

Later, she stepped into a fully integrated living room, where AI assistants reacted instantly to voice commands, adjusting settings and playing music on cue.

"It reminded me of a movie about a tech enthusiast's home," she said. "When that film came out, smart home equipment seemed so futuristic, almost out of reach. Now it's becoming part of everyday life."

Manoa Aro Vanona Ramamonjison, 25, a student from Madagascar at Shanghai Normal University who has lived in China for seven years, was equally impressed.

She paused in front of a handleless refrigerator built into the wall, which opened with a light touch.

"AWE was a very good opportunity for me to experience China's new creations," she said."The way technology blends seamlessly into daily routines is remarkable. It's practical, space-saving, and truly enhances the quality of life."

Kitchen of tomorrow

One of the highlights of the students' visit was the booth of Chinese kitchen appliance brand Fotile, where a vision of the future kitchen was on full display.

Michael Moyo, 29, a PhD student from Zimbabwe at Shanghai University (SHU), recalled arriving in China in 2016 and renting an apartment with a traditional kitchen — one that required everything to be done manually, from washing ingredients and chopping vegetables to adjusting the heat on a basic stove and cleaning up afterward.

That experience made the Fotile display stand out to him. "Even though I had seen videos of smart kitchens online, it all felt like something far off in the future," he said. "Visiting AWE made me realize that future is already here."

"AI is becoming more like a partner at home," he added. "Chinese companies are leading the way in turning the idea of a smart home into reality."

Pham Thu Thuan, 26, a Vietnamese corporate management student at SHU, was particularly impressed by Fotile's next-generation dishwasher, which combines the sink, a dedicated fruit-and-vegetable cleaning section, and a dishwasher into a single unit — saving space and simplifying kitchen tasks.

"I usually just rinse fruits and vegetables with water, but I'm never completely sure they're clean," she said. "The deep-cleaning feature makes the process both safer and much more convenient."

Pham recalled that, growing up, her family's kitchen was simple and modest, with only basic utensils. As a result, cooking was more time-consuming and the range of dishes was limited.

"I always dreamed of having a modern, fully equipped kitchen," she said. "Experiencing this Fotile setup felt as if that dream had finally come true."

Malika Halbayeva, 19, from Turkmenistan, said that in her culture, the kitchen is the heart of the home — a place where people gather, talk, and bond.

"The smart kitchen at AWE was highly efficient, yet it didn't lose that cozy, welcoming atmosphere," she said. "It's a space not just for cooking, but also for relaxing and spending time together."

Steinecke agreed, saying that Chinese-style smart living still prioritizes human interaction.

"AI is used thoughtfully," she said. "The goal is to make life less stressful. In the kitchen, cooking isn't replaced; it's simply made easier."

At the same time, reflecting on the futuristic lifestyles showcased at AWE, Steinecke raised a note of caution: the importance of preserving personal choice for those who prefer more traditional ways of living.

"Smart living should be an option, not an obligation. People should always have the freedom to choose differently — it's an individual right," she said.

This emphasis on personal choice also shapes how she sees the future of home life.

"Robotics will become part of our lives sooner than I expected," she said. "But if someone feels lonely, what they need is real human connection — not robots. For me, the ideal is technology that helps with household tasks and frees up time to focus on things only I can do."

mengwenjie@i21st.cn