What six wacky CES gadgets tell us about the future
THE TECH industry’s annual Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, is known for showing off a ton of crazy gadgets, both useful and fanciful. It’s easy to dismiss some innovations out of hand, but even the wackiest products hint at what consumers should expect to see in the future, by offering a read of what trends companies are focusing on.
Here is a look at several wacky CES products - and what they can tell us about the future of tech. • E-Skin
What it is: A black shirt that looks like something a super villain would wear. The garment, made by Japanese firm Xenoma, has embedded silver motionsensing circuits, and it is supposed to track your movements and the position of your body.
What’s wacky about it: I won’t sugarcoat it. Wearing it makes you look like Venom - a.k.a. the evil version of Spiderman.
What it tells us: Wearable technology is really evolving. Xenoma envisions that the technology in the shirt will be able to improve gaming, fitness and even vocational training. Your Fitbit can track steps, but it can’t tell you anything about your running form, or whether you’re lifting something at work correctly. That next level of analysis can be helpful for people recovering from injuries - or trying to avoid them - and shows we’re just getting started with the idea of what wearables can do. • AvatarMind iPal Robot
What it is: A 3.5-foot tall robot designed to act as a concierge, retail greeter or companion for children and the elderly. High on the cool factor.
What’s wacky about it: Uh . . . it’s a 3.5-foot tall robot designed to act as a concierge, retail greeter or companion for children and the elderly.
What it tells us: Advanced robotics are making their way to the home and to everyday businesses. The iPal has some impressive articulation in its arms, and it boasts an array of software functions - emotion-reading, storytelling, the ability to carry on a conversation with a five-year-old - that’s impressive in a consumerfocused robot. • Mars by Crazybaby What it is: A levitating speaker. What’s wacky about it: As its space-inspired name suggests, it looks like a prop from a 1950s scifi movie - in a good way, mostly.
What it tells us: Well, even the exhibitors at the Crazybaby booth admit that having a levitating speaker is largely an aesthetic choice.
But they do claim that their levitating speaker offers superior sound because it separates the tweeter (the floating part) from the subwoofer (the base) and the design offers 360-degree sound. • Kerastase Hair Coach
What it is: A smart hairbrush, which connects to an app on your phone and tracks your hair health. It’s the result of a partnership between Nokia’s smart-home manufacturer, Withings, and L’Oreal.
What’s wacky about it: It feels like one of those products that has been made smart just because we can make it smart. Plus, who wants to charge their hairbrush?
What it tells us: Personalisation is a key theme emerging from this year’s CES.
The hairbrush is a good example of this; it will tell you whether you’re brushing too hard, and it can give you advice about how your hair, in particular, can be improved. — Washington Post