xMEMS Labs will use CES 2026 to unveil a pair of solid-state silicon-based audio and cooling technologies that it says will underpin a new generation of thinner, lighter AI-enabled consumer devices, as the sector shifts towards what it calls “Physical AI”.
The US-based company, which developed the first solid-state MEMS loudspeaker and the first fan-on-a-chip cooling device, will demonstrate its latest products at The Venetian in Las Vegas from 6th–9th January.
The group is promoting two flagship piezoMEMS systems designed for all-day AI wearables and increasingly compact mobile hardware. The first, µCooling, is a 1-mm-thick solid-state micro-blower that provides targeted airflow to dissipate heat generated by local AI processing. The approach is aimed at products too compact for mechanical fans, including smart glasses, smartphones, SSDs, and other edge-AI devices.
The second, Sycamore, is a 1.28-mm-thick silicon loudspeaker that weighs 150 milligrams and is up to 90% lighter than conventional moving-coil drivers. xMEMS argues that the solid-state design offers full-range, higher-fidelity sound while enabling slimmer frames for AI glasses, open-fit earbuds, headphones, and voice-driven consumer electronics.
Mike Housholder, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, said the hardware sector was experiencing a “renaissance” driven by AI. “As devices get thinner and more powerful, they need solid-state piezoMEMS components that deliver high performance without the bulk,” he said, adding that the new products were intended to improve audio quality, reduce weight, and deliver more precise thermal control.
Demonstrations at CES will show how µCooling and Sycamore can be integrated into several categories. These include AI glasses that combine solid-state audio with silent, localised cooling to keep frames comfortable during extended workloads; headphones and earbuds that use micro-cooling for humidity and temperature moderation; and smartphones, tablets, SSDs, and edge-compute units that rely on µCooling to maintain sustained performance and avoid thermal throttling.
xMEMS argues that piezoMEMS technology is becoming a core hardware layer for AI-enabled consumer electronics, as traditional speakers and mechanical fans approach their physical limits amid rising compute density and shrinking form factors.
Founded in 2018, xMEMS focuses on solid-state audio and cooling components for applications ranging from AI wearables to smartphones and high-density storage devices.
