LEDVANCE has received a 2026 German Innovation Award for Elix, an AI-powered companion lighting robot that combines adaptive illumination, robotics and interactive controls. The product won the Excellence in Business-to-Consumer Lighting category at the May awards ceremony in Berlin, following its public debut at Lichtwoche Sauerland and appearance at Light + Building 2026.
Elix represents a notable expansion of the connected-lighting proposition: rather than simply allowing users to schedule or remotely control a luminaire, it uses sensors, artificial intelligence and a six-axis robotic arm to actively adjust both the direction and character of light in response to the user.
In its Task Lighting Mode, an integrated AI camera identifies five activity scenarios, including reading, writing and video conferencing. The robot then aims light toward the relevant working area, automatically adapting intensity and CCT. For installers, lighting designers and specifiers, this points to a potential next stage in task-lighting design—one that can respond dynamically to changing workstation use rather than relying solely on fixed luminaire position, manual dimming or static scene selection. LEDVANCE says this adaptive approach is intended to enhance visual comfort and reduce eye strain.
Elix’s second operating setting, Emotional Lighting Mode, takes a more experiential approach. The system interprets facial expressions and gestures to generate personalised scenes encompassing light color, movement and acoustic feedback. Gesture control enables the robot to follow hand movements in real time, while touch-sensitive interaction through the housing provides another interface. The emphasis is therefore on lighting as an interactive, responsive part of the human environment, rather than a passive utility.
The German Innovation Awards jury specifically cited the integration of AI, gesture control and dynamic lighting, highlighting Elix’s ability to tailor illumination to individual needs and moods. According to Dr. Ulrich Weiss, LEDVANCE’s Head of Product Management, Innovation and Global IT, the award validates the company’s effort to rethink light and pursue new technological directions.
For the wider lighting sector, Elix is best viewed as a concept at the intersection of task lighting, human-centric lighting and consumer robotics. Its commercial significance will depend on practical factors—price, privacy expectations surrounding camera-enabled products, reliability and the value consumers place on autonomous interaction—but it illustrates how luminaires may increasingly incorporate sensing, automation and robotic movement.
More information is available here.
12Image above courtesy of LEDVANCE.
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