Groups like the Herds and Techy national groups have made annual transfers to Las Vegas for gold on the latest gadgets and often bizarre electronic products, since 1967. This year is no exception. CES began Monday, showcasing more than 1,000 speakers and startups, including at least 250 conference sessions. There is so much to accept but there are a number of great, most committed, and chaotic projects unveiled so far.
Intelligent Toilets: You can assume no toilet needs to be smart to do the job, but you’re doing it wrong, obviously. Founded in 1873, Kohler unveiled a super high-tech “intelligent toilet.” The Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet (above) can be synchronized with Amazon Alexa to follow voice commands – presumably: “Flash” – as well as “Personalized Cleaning and Dryer Function”, a heated seat, and built-in speaker.
Walking Cars: 3500 BCE: People invent the wheel. 2019 CE: People attach legs to wheels. Hyundai unveiled their new concept, called the Elevate, which shows clear legs for crawling on rocky or rough terrain (pictured above). There is a set of four wheels at the base of the foot, which means that the vehicle can also drive “normally”.
John Suh, vice president and head of Hyundai’s Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences, said in a statement, “When a tsunami or earthquake hits, rescue vehicles can only first reach the wreckage of the respondents. They have to walk the rest of the way to the concrete.”
LG ExoSuit: Exosuits are not just the stuff of video games; even consumer electronic brands are starting to jump on the bandwagon. Korean electronics company LG has launched its rebuilt CLOi SuitBot, a wearable-powered robotic aid to help people lift heavy objects. Charge it for an hour and the wearer will be assisted for four hours.
Freshly Baked Bread Vending Machines: The future, obviously, is a world bound by bread-baking robots. The Wilkinson Baking Company showcased its proud creation, the BreadBot, at CES this week. It looks like a nifty machine that mixes, bundles, proofs and bakes a batch of dried ingredients and whips it into fresh-baked bread. At full capacity, it can produce an impressive 10 loaves of bread per hour and yield a maximum of 235 loaves per day. Breakbot will be judging several grocery stores in the United States later this year, hoping to provide a full-fledged stuffed bread alternative for preservation.
