Leim Technology brings embodied AI and emotional interaction to the WTA125 tournament experience.
HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG, CHINA, August 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Artificial intelligence is moving beyond screens and conversations, entering new areas where technology, emotion and human experience intersect.
Chinese technology company Leim Technology announced Tuesday that its non-verbal emotional AI companion bibo has become an official partner of the 2026 Suzhou Open, a WTA125 tournament, serving as the event’s “player emotional ambassador” and exploring how artificial intelligence can support athletes beyond competition.
The partnership represents a new exploration of how Emotional AI Companions and embodied AI technology can enter professional sports, focusing not only on performance and data, but also on emotional connection, personal expression and human-centered experiences.
The 2026 Suzhou Open will take place from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11 at the Suzhou New District International Tennis Center in Suzhou, China. The WTA125 tournament will feature singles and doubles competitions, bringing together professional women’s tennis players from around the world
From Performance Tools to Emotional Companions
Professional athletes often spend much of their careers traveling between cities, managing intensive training schedules, competitive pressure and life away from home.
For tennis players, competition is not only about physical performance. Behind every match are moments of preparation, focus, uncertainty, pressure and celebration — creating opportunities for new forms of technology that support emotional connection and personal experience.
Developed by Leim Technology , bibo is a non-verbal emotional AI companion designed around embodied interaction and emotional intelligence.
Unlike traditional conversational AI systems that mainly rely on voice-based question-and-answer interactions, bibo combines **multimodal perception, embodied interaction and emotional intelligence** to understand surrounding situations and respond through natural expressions.
Through eye movement, gestures, facial expressions, sound patterns, pauses and physical movements, bibo creates interactions designed to feel more intuitive and emotionally expressive.
During the Suzhou Open, bibo will participate in player engagement activities and explore new ways for AI to support athletes beyond competition, including training moments, pre-match preparation, post-match experiences and tournament-related interactions.
Creating AI-Powered Memories Beyond the Match
Beyond on-site interaction, the partnership will introduce AI-powered creative experiences designed to help athletes and fans transform meaningful moments into personalized visual memories.
Through bibo’s AI journal and visual creation features, users can take photos during the tournament — including player activities, fan interactions and city experiences — and transform them into creative images in different artistic styles.
Rather than simply generating pictures, bibo uses AI to help users reimagine their own moments, turning personal photos into expressive visual stories with unique styles and emotional meaning.
The experience is built around the idea that emotional companionship requires both **warmth and boundaries**.
bibo is designed with user-controlled privacy features, including a physical camera cover, a physical switch that allows users to close its eyes instantly, locally prioritized processing for key interactions and controllable data synchronization options.
Users decide when to take photos, when to create AI-generated content and when to pause interaction.
The goal is not for AI to constantly observe or collect personal moments, but to participate when invited and respect personal space when privacy is needed.
When companionship is needed, bibo responds. When quiet time is needed, bibo respects the user’s choice.
For athletes and fans, these AI-powered creative experiences offer a new way to celebrate sports moments while maintaining control over their personal content.
Connecting Tennis, Lifestyle and City Culture
The collaboration will also extend beyond the court into sports lifestyle experiences.
Around the tournament, bibo will introduce tennis-themed creative products and character-based merchandise inspired by tennis culture.
Among the products is a tennis racket vibration dampener featuring the bibo character, bringing an Emotional AI Companion concept into the real sporting environment. Other products include tennis-themed charms and collectible items designed for tennis fans and everyday use.
Some products will incorporate elements of Suzhou’s local culture, creating connections between international tennis, city identity and lifestyle experiences.
Through the combination of sports, character design and urban culture, the partnership aims to explore how professional sporting events can create new connections with younger audiences beyond traditional competition.
The products will be available through official Suzhou Open channels and bibo’s official platforms, extending the tournament experience from the stadium into everyday life.
AI as a New Medium for Emotional Expression
The partnership also highlights a broader shift in the role of artificial intelligence — from a productivity tool toward a technology that participates more naturally in human experiences.
Leim Technology believes future AI products will not only provide information or complete tasks, but also understand context, express emotions and build meaningful long-term relationships with users.
Founded with the mission of “creating technology with life,” Leim Technology Co., Ltd. (Leim Technology) focuses on embodied AI, emotional intelligence and original character experiences, developing products designed to sense, express and interact with people in more natural ways.
Bibo is not designed to replace human relationships. Instead, it aims to become a new type of intelligent companion that connects people with their surroundings, creative expression and everyday experiences.
Exploring the Future of AI, Sports and Human Experience
Leim Technology co-founder Xiang Zhen said the company chose tennis because the sport combines athletic intensity with strong lifestyle and cultural connections.
Tennis contains many emotional moments — pressure, focus, persistence and celebration,” Xiang said. “At the same time, it connects with fashion, travel, urban culture and social experiences, creating opportunities for emotional AI to enter real-life scenarios.”
As AI continues to evolve, the company believes the next generation of intelligent products will be defined not only by computing power, but also by their ability to create more natural and meaningful interactions.
From exhibitions and cultural events to brand collaborations, retail spaces and now professional sports, bibo is continuing to explore the possibilities of Emotional AI Companions and embodied technology.
The partnership with the 2026 Suzhou Open represents a broader exploration of how **AI, sports, culture and lifestyle can come together to create more human-centered technology experiences.
Gloria.Gu
Hangzhou Leim Technology Co., LTD
+86 150 5697 4384
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