By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer
The Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas, yields a huge variety of new products, ranging in coolness and quality. Consumer electronics casts a wide net, which means that the show displays everything from cheap phone cases to robot dogs, a mishmash of the cool, the usable, and the downright weird.
At 3 million square feet, the show floor is so extensive that it would be difficult for one person to see it all even if they wondered the convention floor for a week. Harder still is waiting in line to test the coolest products there across a variety of categories. Despite the ironic power outage in a very techy space, CES brings the latest in design, innovation, and creativity, so here is a look at 10 cool things that you’ll probably be seeing around in the coming year.
Vive Pro
An immediate standout is the new Vive Pro, a VR headset that increases pixel count over the original Vive. Vive Pro sits at 2880 x 1600 (1400 x 1600 per eye) and 615 ppi, as compared to 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye) in the original. It also comes with built-in headphones with an amplifier, dual mics, and a comfortable head strap. If you want, you can use it wirelessly for an additional price. Though it doesn’t yet have a price point or release date, it promises to bring VR back in the spotlight.
Image source: Vive Blog .
Roborace
Roborace is a car designed to participate in the Roborace series, announced in 2015. Autoweek reports that while the series, which allows autonomous cars to run on Formula E tracks, has seemingly stalled, Nvidia’s Roborace is getting attention. It’s meant to be truly autonomous, so it doesn’t even have a seat for a driver. Measuring just short of 16 feet long and a little over 2,200 pounds, the car is powered by 540-kWh batteries, is surrounded by sensors, and has four open wheels. Ultimately, the winners of such races will be determined by who can best program a car.
Image source: Nvidia .
Samsung 110-Inch Ultra-High-Definition 4K TV
4K TVs were a much-talked-about item at this year’s CES, and Samsung wasn’t going to be late to the party. The South Korean conglomerate’s 2018 entries included a gigantic TV with 4K resolution stretched across an enormous 110-inch screen. Cool Material especially likes the built-in speakers, but consumers are bound to like the fact that it looks like a whiteboard because it is so large.
Image source: YouTube .
Dreamlight Sleep Mask
For $100, startup company Dreamlight now offers a large sleep mask with LED lights that give off orange light as you drift off to sleep, allowing sleep to come more quickly. The mask also claims to lessen jet lag, recommend adjustments to sleep habits based on the results of a DNA evaluation, and project light to help with under-eye circles. USA Today reports that it makes the wearer a little woozy initially and will be on Indiegogo this spring.
Image source: Dreamlight .
L’Oreal UV Sense
Cosmetics company L’Oreal introduced a health tracker roughly the size of a fingernail at this year’s CES. By teaming up with Northwestern University, the company’s tracker sticks to anything you wear that might be in the sun (a shoe, a bracelet, a button, etc.) and, via solar power, measures UV exposure. The product will be available in the U.S. this summer and will launch globally next year.
Image source: L’Oreal .
Honda 3E Robotics Concept
Honda introduced a new line of robots that Time says are both cute and functional. The robot concept includes multiple robots designed for different purposes, each meant to showcase the idea that robots can help people by “providing a sense of compassion and understanding.” The robots are capable of shifting facial expressions and are used for everything from chairs to transport. The robots will fulfill a variety of purposes. The 3E-D18 is an autonomous off-road robot designed to improve the way that work is done and includes a multi-purpose tool rail, a digger arm/fruit and vegetable picker, and robotics package for the top of the vehicle. And then there’s the 3E-B18, which can be a robotic wheelchair, luggage transporter, or other mobility device, complete with adjustable seat — not to mention the 3E-C18, which provides cargo for street vendors or mobile hobbyists in need of a shop. Finally, the 3E-A18 mimics facial expressions and is a great fit for an automated receptionist or museum droid.
Image source: Honda.
Smacircle S1 Folding eBike
Smacircle, a company in Shenzhen, China, brought what they claim is the world’s most compact and lightweight foldable eBike. CNET reports that the bike weights only 15 pounds and can be folded into a backpack. The bike can also be locked via phone and can be pre-ordered on Indiegogo for $650, a price set to increase to $1,500 upon larger release.
Image source: Smacircle.
The PowerDolphin
While there are plenty of drones in the air, the PowerDolphin is a drone meant for the water. There, it can capture 4K video and photos via sonar, allowing the creation of topographical maps of the ocean floor. According to Digital Trends, the drone can throw bait to attract creatures, bring a tow line to struggling swimmers, and deliver life preservers. The creators claim its usefulness for everyone from researchers to fisherman.
Image source: PowerDolphin.
Hive View
Stuff likens the Hive View to a GoPro combined with a guard dog, making this security camera extra-effective. With person detection, the camera won’t send you unnecessary alerts for things like sunlight and shadow. Off its mount, the camera will record for 90 minutes anywhere you put it and only records when it detects movement or sound. It’s highly customizable and looks sleek and modern.
Image source: Hive.
LG Top-Load Washer and Dryer Pair
BGR identifies this washer and dryer as unlike any other — with every setting you’ll ever need, the washer also comes equipped with the LG SideKick pedestal washer, meant to clean a small load of laundry either independently or while the larger washer is working. The larger washer is designed to save time and maximize wash performance with six washing motions. The techy washer also comes equipped with LG SmartThinQ Wi-Fi technology, which means that users can start and stop the washer and follow cycles with an accompanying app. The washer also responds to voice commands with Google Assistant.
Image source: BGR.
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