This is by no means an exhaustive list, and only showcases a snippet of what this grand conference has to offer
In Las Vegas there is a saying: “Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” But the electronic goodies unveiled at the annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES) – arguably the largest and most famous electronics show in the world – in vice city will have lasting impact in the global consumer electronics industry. Of course, only a few out of the multitude will become retail darlings; others will fizzle out like a coke-induced gambling binge.
Today the media had a sneak peak at the future of consumer electronics, two days before the official opening of #CES2017. This year’s theme is all about smart devices. Here are nine delightful gadgets – some elaborate, others simpler – that caught e27‘s eye today. Expect more to be revealed in the coming days.
Virtual reality hypersuit
Hypersuit is an exoskeleton that enables people to experience the sensation of flying – while being completely grounded. It works with a VR headset so you can soar through the infinite virtual skies without worrying about crashing to your doom in real life.
And it isn’t just for entertainment, either. The company that created it says the suit can be used for physiotherapy and rehabilitation purposes. It can also be used in the military. Soldiers who have to don out wind suits can first practice with the Hypersuit.
Also Read: Google, Oculus, Sony launch Global Virtual Reality Association
Hypersuit plans to roll out a rental/subscription programme for the exoskeletion. The company says that in the future, it will also be used to mimic other movements (such as riding a motorcycle).
Take a virtual tour on ice
Want to know what walking on ice feels without actually walking on it? Japanese company Cerevo has developed a pair of tactile VR footwear called Taclim. Using haptic feedback, it is able to recreate a variety of terrain texture such as grassland, desert and water.
It is integrated with Unity, so developers can create custom terrain textures and install them into Taclim.
Put a ring on it
There are a lot of sleep or heart rate trackers in the market. The Motiv Ring tracker, however, claims to be more effective and user-friendly. First, it is small, light (made of titanium shell), and slips easily onto the finger. Then, it is also waterproof.
But besides being more comfortable, putting a tracker on a finger has a more practical function – it is able to take more accurate heart rate measurements. This is evident in many hospitals where doctors use a finger pulse oximeter to measure heart rate.
This powerbank can bring you places
Immotor GO is a full fledged smart e-scooter. It has GPS tracking, bluetooth speaker, camera, digitally-operated locks, and an alert to warn of potential accidents.
The three-wheeled vehicle also has one interesting property: a smart proprietary swappable battery. It is able to shut itself down before it malfunctions, such as overheating scenarios. It is also weather resistant and can be used to charge other devices.
Immotor GO can run up to 20 MPH (32 KM) and can be folded up to store in small spaces. It also has a multi-height telescopic handle bar for easy carrying.
Feels like second skin
Special effects productions in films and games use a combination of suits and cameras to capture an actor’s movement and transpose it onto a virtual character.
Smart apparel startup Xenoma‘s solution requires only a suit: one with stretchable wires and 14 sensors inside the fabric. This is called the Printed Circuit Fabric (PCF).
Also Read: This wearable could prevent half of premature baby deaths in India
The e-skin can also be used to track other activities such as sports and sleeping habits.
One remote to rule them all
Sevenhugs is a smart remote that allows users to reduce their reliance on their smartphones. It works with a combination of apps and sensors. Once the user assigns an app to a sensor, they can simply point the remote at the sensor to activate the app. For example, users can place a sensor on their front door and assign it to the Uber app. If the sensor malfunctions, users can scroll the menu to find the app.
Make any shirt smart
Mevics‘ barebones IoT device looks humble but can save users from a world of chronic discomfort. It is placed in the front of the user’s shirt to detect improper posture, such as slouching. Alerts are sent in the form of vibrations. Additionally, it can track other metrics such as steps taken and calories burnt.
And hairbrushes, too
Everything is getting ‘smarter’ these days, even hairbrushes. Hair care company Kerastase has partnered with consumer electronics company Withings to develop one of the world’s first smart hairbrush to track hair care.
The Kerastase Hair Coach has a microphone that tracks hair brushing sounds in order to detect hair conditions such as frizziness, dryness, split ends and breakage. It also has accelerator and gyroscope to detect hair brushing patterns and inform the user if they are applying too much force. Additionally it can detect whether hair is wet or dry.
Also Read: Is this finally the right time for the AR/VR industry to shine?
All these information are logged and stored in an app. Combined with other external information such as weather conditions, it is able to provide an accurate hair management and quality overview.
Don’t fall asleep just yet
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