There is only one thing we like more than a technological event full of innovations: a technological event full of rare devices. That is why we like CES 2020 so much, the first tech event of the year, because if a company has any weird, funny, curious or peculiar gadget, it will surely take advantage of the event to teach it, because in the 185,000 square meters that are available for exhibitions in The Las Vegas Convention Center has room for everyone.
Thus, from Revyuh we have compiled some of these rare devices and gadgets that have appeared by CES 2020. They are simply a selection of devices that have caught our attention . Without further delay, we begin.
URGOnight, the best sleeping helmet
We start strong. The URGONight is a helmet that connects with the mobile and, according to the manufacturer, serves to “learn to activate the brain’s natural ability to sleep well.” To do this, the device makes an encephalogram to measure brain activity and has a mobile application from which brain training is accessed.
The helmet measures the activity of the brain, which is sent to the smartphone for viewing. The app creates custom workouts and thus “naturally activate the same brain waves to sleep.” According to URGONight, it serves to fall asleep 40% faster and to reduce nighttime awakenings by 53%. To do this, you only have to train 20 minutes three times a week doing exercises such as concentrating on a task, freeing the mind and focusing on breathing before bedtime, always with the helmet on, of course.
They say that it makes no noise, that it has no side effects, that it does not generate habits and that the results are lasting. With these workouts, positive feedback is generated that teaches you what brain processes and mental activities work for you so that you can go to bed with a better plan to fall asleep. For example, if the helmet detects that reading before bed helps you, it will recommend you read before bed. On paper, of course.
SelfieType, Samsung’s invisible keyboard with artificial intelligence
If you are in the world of technology, this conceptual video of the iPhone 5 probably sounds in which the terminal projects a laser keyboard on a table that the user can use to write on the mobile. There is no such invention, we already anticipate it, but there is something similar: SelfieType, a Samsung keyboard that uses artificial intelligence and the internal camera of the mobile to map our fingers and emulate the writing.
The mobile uses proprietary image recognition technology that detects the position of our fingers in the air and the touches we give on a surface. It is not as chic as the concept of the iPhone 5, because there is no futuristic red laser projected on the table, but according to the Samsung demo, it seems that the technology works.
Now, it is a project of C-Lab, the division of experiments of Samsung, so for the moment and until further notice, it is better not to expect it to be implemented in a commercial device.
Royole Mirage, the smart speaker with a folding screen
Smart speakers are starting to get popular. Google has its Nest, Amazon its Echo and Apple its Homepod, and now it has been Royole, creator of the first commercial folding mobile, which has wanted to add to the trend with the Royole Mirage. Obviously, we are talking about a manufacturer of folding screens, so its main attraction is that the speaker incorporates one of them.
Specifically, the Royole Mirage mounts a 7.8-inch AMOLED panel that covers the body of the device. In addition, it has a five-megapixel camera, so it is expected that at some point it can be used to make video calls. On the comfort of seeing our interlocutor in a folded screen, we can discuss at another time.
The device has been developed with Cleer Audio and has Alexa as a voice assistant. It has two microphones, Qualcomm APQ8053 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of eMMC internal storage and three 48 mm drivers with full range passive radiator. It will be released during the second quarter of 2020 at about 800 euros to change.
Sony Vision S, Sony’s electric car with 33 sensors
It is not a gadget, but it is, at least, curious. Sony, which we know mostly for consoles, televisions and audio equipment, has gone through CES to show us a prototype of electric car. Because knowing the PS5 logo and some of its features is fine, but seeing an electric car equipped with all kinds of sensors is even better.
A sedan built on a new electric vehicle platform designed, apparently, by Magna. Among the sensors inside, we have a CMOS and a Time of Flight (ToF) to monitor both the interior of the car and the exterior, being able to recognize objects from both sides. It has 360 Reality Audio sound and a huge screen that covers the entire board.
To carry it out, the company has partnered with brands such as Continental, NVIDIA, Magna, GNX, Bosch, Here Maps and Qualcomm, among others. Of course, we are facing a prototype with which Sony wants to show its vision of the mobility of the future, so it is not known if it will eventually materialize in a final product.
Bzigo, a laser pointer to detect mosquitoes
Is there anything worse than being peacefully asleep and waking up by the hum of a mosquito ? Yes, wake up and not know where it is, go back to sleep and wake up again for the same buzz. There are two options: turn on the light, completely blind yourself and try to locate or surrender to it and try to spend the night as good as you can.
Bizgo wants to solve this problem using a camera equipped with a laser pointer and artificial intelligence. It is a start-up based in Israel and its device is very similar to a webcam. This is equipped with a proprietary artificial intelligence that, they say, is capable of detecting mosquitoes even at night to subsequently send a notification to the mobile and indicate its position with a laser.
The range of action is about eight meters, more or less like a medium-large room, and it should be said that it does not kill them. The laser simply makes a circumference around the location, but the user will have to choose how to end it: a magazine, a napkin or the hand, whichever is more comfortable. In the future they plan to create an anti-mosquito technology using small drones that will eliminate the insect and return to the charging base.
Charmin Rollbot, the robot that brings you paper to the bathroom
Deb sitting on a toilet demonstrating the Charmin Rollbot at #CES2020 pic.twitter.com/Vi2phmjuvX
— Thomas Frey CSP (@ThomasFrey) January 7, 2020
Few situations are more uncomfortable than being in the bathroom and realizing that there is no paper. If you live accompanied, a cry for help should solve the situation, but if you are (or live) alone, things change. There is no one to help you unless you have a Charmin Rollbot.
What does this peculiar robot do? Neither more nor less than taking toilet paper to the bathroom. The device has a base in the upper area where you can place a roll of paper, as well as two wheels that will help you take it to your location, as long as it is within the range of Bluetooth action. To guide and not collide use infrared sensors.
Obviously, the robot does not recharge itself. It is the user who has to worry about replacing a roll of toilet paper on it, which can be a problem if we start from the base that has already forgotten to recharge the bathroom. It is a prototype and, for now, there is no release date or price.
Lioness 2, the vibrator with artificial intelligence
Although Satisfyer is the fashion product, companies dedicated to sex toys continue to innovate in their sector. Proof of this is the Lioness 2, a vibrator with artificial intelligence. This is the evolution of the original Lioness, which has been improved after having “researched and analyzed more than 30,000 orgasms.”
The device uses big data to make suggestions, but also monitors each user’s sessions to offer personalized recommendations. For this, the vibrator arrives accompanied by an app for smartphones where the data related to the experience is shown and suggestions for improving pleasure are offered.
In addition, it measures body heat and pelvic floor movements to detect excitation peaks. From the company, they affirm that “we know that it is a premium device and we want that the people can use what they already have, with new characteristics and functionalities, in the next years”. In other words, all software updates of this second version will also reach the previous version.
Prinker, the automatic tattoo artist
One of the problems with tattoos is that they are permanent. If you regret, there is no going back, unless you are willing to pay a generous amount of money (and suffer some pain) in laser treatment. The solution? Prinker, a portable device that prints temporary tattoos using cosmetic ink in seconds.
The device has 3,000 default designs, although custom drawings can be created. They last about two days and the ink used is water resistant, although it can be removed with soap. The ink (black or colored) comes in cartridges that are inserted inside, as if it were a printer (because it really is a kind of printer).
Then the device is turned on, the app for smartphones or tablets is opened, the design is chosen and it is expected to load in the printer. When you are ready, you have to prepare the skin with a spray product and finally press a button and slide the Prinker across the surface. Ready, tattoo done. The product costs $ 269 and can be purchased on the web, although it will also reach Amazon.
Perso, the creator of L’Oreal cosmetics based on AI
And now that we talk about printing things, it is worth mentioning Perso, L’Oreal’s device to create personalized cosmetics. Perso is a kind of “printer” that mixes the lipstick, makeup base and personal care products in a personalized way. For this, it has an artificial intelligence that “becomes smarter over time” and analyzes our photos or the photos of other people to offer personalized makeup.
In addition, it analyzes the climatic conditions, such as humidity, heat or pollution, to adapt the mixture to these conditions. The user can set their own priorities, such as covering blackheads, solving firmness problems, reducing the visibility of pores or improving brightness. Inside there are three cartridges with different products that, thanks to an engine and a compressor, execute the most suitable mixture. The final product leaves through openings located in the upper area.
The same applies to the lipstick, since Perso can create the tone that the user wants. In the same way, using the camera the app can detect the color of the clothes and suggest different shades for each outfit. The color can be previewed in real-time using augmented reality and the device can accommodate up to 30 applications.
Samsung Ballie, a tennis ball to control household devices
Samsung is one of the companies that do not miss a CES. This year it has taught a good batch of televisions and a most peculiar robot: Ballie. It is a robot shaped like a tennis ball that promises to perform functions as varied as taking care of home automation or our exercise sessions. In addition to as a toy for children and pets, everything is said.
Meet #Ballie, Samsung’s human-centric vision of robots that takes personalized care to the next level. The small rolling robot, “understands you, supports you, and reacts to your needs.” #CES2020 #SamsungCES2020 pic.twitter.com/YzwgZN1Lgw
— Samsung US Newsroom (@SamsungNewsUS) January 7, 2020
We have been able to see Ballie following the CEO of Samsung’s consumer division along a stage, respond to his orders with a “beep” of the most endearing and even move on his own to his hand’s thanks to an integrated camera and artificial intelligence. According to Samsung, it is also capable of managing home automation, for example, by opening blinds, turning on the TV or activating the robot vacuum cleaner.
It is a robot that can also help older people, since it is able to detect when someone has fallen and cannot get up, giving the alarm voice. No mention has been made of its launch date or its price, but it is most curious.
S-Pod by Segway, the seat that brings us closer to the world of Wall-E
If you are fond of the world of Disney and Pixar, you’ve probably seen ‘ Wall-E’, the movie in which a peculiar robot named Wall-E leaves a doomed planet Earth to reach a ship in which humans live. They are not human like the ones we know, but they are fat, with very short arms and legs, and move in a kind of autonomous chair. By saving the distances, we cannot prevent the new Segway S-Pod from reminding us of the movie.
It is a concept of the seat on wheels designed for enclosed spaces and whose idea is to replace, at some point, electric scooters. Unlike scooters, it is not necessary to learn how to drive this vehicle, since you just have to sit and move it using a joystick. The device is self-balanced (not to fall) and, as the company points out, it can turn and rotate smoothly.
It is still a concept and, like many other products that populate this article, it is not for sale, although the company intends to put it on the market during the third quarter of 2020 and deliver it in the first months of 2021. It has no defined price.
Y-Brush, the toothbrush that only takes 10 seconds
The World Health Organization recommends brushing your teeth at least twice a day for at least two minutes at a time. Y-Brush, meanwhile, claims to be able to clean all teeth in just 10 seconds. It was first introduced last year, but CES 2020 has been the framework chosen by the company to publicize the final form and price.
Its operation is simple. You just have to place your upper and lower teeth on the device and let your nylon bristles do their job. It has a small motor in the handle that makes all the bristles vibrate and clean the teeth, so it replaces the brush, but not the dental floss, recommended to prevent the accumulation of tartar.
The device has a price of 125 dollars, about 112 euros to change, and can be purchased from the company’s website (they ship worldwide), although it will not ship until March. It has three vibration modes, two brush sizes and autonomy of one month using it twice a day. Recharge, by the way, is wireless.
NextMind, the accessory to control devices with the mind
We are approaching the end, not without mentioning NextMind, a company that claims to have created a device to control devices with the mind. It is an accessory of 60 grams with eight electrodes that is placed in the back of the head and, theoretically, is able to convert the signals of the visual cortex of the brain into digital commands.
The technology has a certain learning curve, both for the user and for the device itself, since the more it is used, the easier it is for NextMind to “understand” what “you are thinking” and turn it into actions. Let’s take a simple example: pause a movie. The pause icon consists of two vertical stripes, so when we see it our eyes “project” an image similar to the visual cortex of our brain that NextMind decodes, understanding what icon we mean. Subsequently, the information is sent to the device in real-time and the action is executed, in this case, pause a movie.
It is a product whose development kit will be sold to certain developers and partners for $ 399. There are only a few units, although there is a second batch scheduled for the second quarter of 2020. It is not finally known if it will end up being a consumer product.
Petit Qoobo, because not everyone can have a kitten at home
We arrive at the final stop: Petit Qoobo. What is the Petit Qoobo? A kind of lying cat that you can pet whenever you want, ideal for allergy sufferers like a server. It is a reduced version of the Qoobo, which was launched three years ago and, according to the company, is intended to be portable and be able to take it anywhere. Because it’s always a good time to pamper a cat.
The Petit Qoobo vibrates when we touch it, moves the tail and imitates the purring of a cat to give a more realistic feeling. According to the sources, it is small enough to fit in a bag, although it is still a prototype. It is expected to be cheaper than the original model, which is worth $ 149 and is much larger, and its release date is extended until the end of 2020.