Samsung Ballie
This AI-powered home robot was one of many scenes Samsung made this year. If their plan was to take 2020’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by storm, Samsung really brought the heat, showing off the only fully connected home, which included a self-making bed.
Ballie, a personal-care robot, uses AI to help seniors connect with smart devices in the home to stay fit, safe, and connected. Hyun Suk Kim, Samsung’s president and CEO, said Ballie “represents the future of personalized care.” The small, ball-shaped robot has sensors and cameras to patrol your home, keep an eye on your pets, and communicate with other smart devices. “Ballie understands you, supports you, and reacts to your needs to be actively helpful around the house,” Kim said.
Concept only; samsung.com
Oculus Quest Virtual Reality All-in-One Headset
Touting no PC, no wires, and no limits, this VR headset offers users transformational experiences. It’s an all-in-one gaming system that can be played in any space, with controllers that transport your hands and gestures right into the game. According to the company, your slashes, throws, and grabs appear in VR with intuitive, realistic precision.
From $399; oculus.com
Mercedes VISION AVTR
A meeting of the minds between James Cameron and Mercedes-Benz delivered an almost too futuristic concept car inspired by the 2009 movie Avatar. The VISION AVTR concept car is a mix of everything CES is known for: outlandish styling, far-off future tech, and a tie-in with a major entertainment property. With spherical wheels that allow the car to move in a crab-like manner, integrated solar panels, and an interior meant to encourage immersion, it’s easy to see why Ola Källenius, chairman of Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler, said on stage that it’s an example of how man and machine might “literally merge.”
Concept only; mercedes-benz.com
Impossible Foods: Pork
From the brand that launched the Impossible Burger at CES 2019, Impossible Foods once again grabbed conference-goers’ attention with a soy-based meat mimic. This time, Impossible Foods brought pork to the table, furthering its goal of reducing the environmental footprint associated with meat by offering high-quality plant-based options.
Pricing not yet available; impossiblefoods.com
Daiwa Supreme Hybrid Massage Chair
This massage chair, with a FullBodyReach MultiStroke system, is a fulfilling replacement for a masseuse. Its 3-D massage-roller design separates the upper and lower massaging arms, with one focusing on the upper back, shoulders, and neck, while the other simultaneously massages the lower back and legs. This holistic treatment combines stretching, heat, compression massage, and reflexology, and saw attendees lining up en masse. With the Supreme Hybrid, Daiwa + Rotai introduced a new category in the massage chair space: a hybrid model that combines an inversion stretch chair with an L-shaped massage track.
From $12,500; daiwamassage.com
Delta’s Sarcos Guardian Exoskeleton
Delta Air Lines partnered with Sarcos Robotics to demonstrate the Guardian XO industrial exoskeleton, a battery-powered, full-body exoskeleton designed to boost human performance and endurance while helping prevent injury. The suit can be put on or taken off in about 30 seconds and promises to do your heavy lifting: up to 200 pounds for up to eight hours at a time. Delta’s front-line employees are working with Sarcos to determine potential operational uses for the Guardian XO, as the airline aims to improve workplace safety while expanding its industry lead.
The Guardian XO suit will go on sale in the third quarter of 2020, for $100,000 per unit; sarcos.com
Sony’s Vision-S Concept Car
Sony’s rollout vehicle at this year’s CES show exists somewhere between a concept and a prototype. Like a concept, it’s meant to showcase the ideas Sony has for the world of cars. But like a prototype, the car actually works. The long list of features gave Sony bragging rights throughout the conference, and it’s no surprise that plenty of that focus fell on the entertainment experience and user interface. The touchscreen menu animations were described as clever and fluid, with the capabilities of multitouch gestures, adding to the user experience.
Concept only; sony.com
Y-Brush
This 10-second toothbrush replacement was back at CES this year with a finalized design and big promises to save time while providing efficiency. The French company FasTeesH sought to reimagine how we brush our teeth. Instead of moving the small head of a regular toothbrush from tooth to tooth over the course of two minutes, users place the Y-brush in their mouth like a mouthguard and let the device work its magic all at once.
$125; y-brush.com
GuRu Wireless Power Robot
For decades, the idea of truly wireless power transmission has been out of reach, but Guru is promising a bold future without wires. Born out of the California Institute of Technology, GuRu has developed technology that transmits electricity using high-frequency radio waves, applied to three products so far: a desk-based charging system that can wirelessly charge pretty much any gadget within a few feet; a room-scale version the size of a ceiling tile with significantly more range; and the showstopping, roving, Roomba-like robot that moves around a large space and charges small, smart-home gadgets. GuRu is in the final stages of FCC approval, which should allow the company to bring its first product to market later this year.
guru.inc
Brilliant Smart Home Interface
Brilliant’s system has the capacity to transform any house or apartment into an easy-to-use smart home. Its in-wall lighting and control system allows homeowners to easily control lighting, doorbells, locks, cameras, music, climate, intercom, scenes, and more. Brilliant receives bonus points for being affordable while uniting all of your favorite smart home devices together in one simple-to-use interface. Brilliant was also named a 2020 IoT Breakthrough Award Winner in the Connected Home Company category and chosen as a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree in the Smart Home category.
From $449; brilliant.tech
