Meet Moxie, the robot who will socialise your child during homeschool
Moxie from Embodied.com
If the past year taught us anything, it's that sanitation and hygiene are vital.
So it's no surprise that a lash of companies are using the world's largest consumer technology show to showcase robots that can sanitise surfaces.
CES is held every January in Las Vegas, with thousands of exhibitors and more than 170,000 attendees surging in to see a wide range of new gadgets unveiled. However, like everything else, the tech industry has had to adapt to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The convention has moved online with a new 'digital venue' created with the help of Microsoft as a central hub for the show's main announcements. And big-name brands such as LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony are opting for virtual press conferences.
Keynote speeches by executives from companies such as Amazon, Google, and Twitter will be shown online during the event.
From bots that can neutralise germs around the house while you're out for a walk to little automated workers that will clean up hotel or hospital surfaces, hygiene has been a real buzzword at the CES in Vegas this year.
One such droid is Coro-Bot, an 'antivirus disinfection robot' created by Hills Engineering in South Korea. The robot can move independently around environments. It uses its flexible arms to identify the areas in need of cleaning, and uses ultraviolet light to sterilises them. It also contains an air circulator that it says kills airborne coronavirus and other viruses using a far-Infrared ceramic filter.
Ubttech also has a sanitising robot: the Adibots — the large Adibot-A and the smaller, mobile Adibot-S — use UV to disinfect surfaces. They cost $40,000 and $20,000, (approx €33k and €16k) respectively. The product is aimed primarily at COVID-19, but you can alter the dosage to target different diseases. The Adibot links to an ordinary-looking caution sign you can pop in front of the door of the room. If that sign is moved or any motion is detected, the Adibot stops what it's doing immediately. The caution is necessary because UVC can be harmful to people as well.
Instead of passing a chambermaid or porter in the hotel corridor you might meet LG's robot which also radiates UV light to disinfect high-traffic areas. This Cloi UV-C is designed for hospitality, education, corporate, retail and restaurant venues, as well as transportation.
LG vice president, Michael Kosla, said: "Whether it's hotel guests, students in classrooms or patrons of restaurants and other businesses, they can rest assured that the LG autonomous UV robot will help reduce their exposure to harmful bacteria and germs."
Again, apparently we don't need to worry too much about being zapped yourself though, this robot is programmed to reduce human exposure to UV rays, with motion detection sensors in place which activate a safety lock and stop the robot when it senses people within a five-metre radius.
Pets have been a life-saver for so many people in lockdown. And many more haven't even able to add a dog or cat to their family, such is the demand for furry companions these days.
Vanguard Industries Inc, an innovation firm based in Tokyo, Japan, might have the answer in the form of Moflin. This is an AI pet that possesses emotional capabilities that evolve like living animals. It has warm soft fur, and apparently makes cute sounds, and adorable movements.
If homeschooling has you beat already then maybe your kids would listen to Moxie.
This sweet-faced teal-coloured robot is made by startup Embodied — it was one of Time's best inventions of 2020 and is a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honoree.
This companion robot helps children build social, emotional and cognitive skills through everyday play-based learning and the delivery of educational content.
We're all pretty much working from bed these days anyway, right? Maybe you can put the LG OLED smart bed on your expenses then.
This is a 55" transparent OLED adjustable height screen that can be placed at the foot of a bed. LG says the screen can achieve up to 40% transparency and you can see through it even when it is displaying an image. When you're not actually working, it can analyse your sleep patterns and act like an alarm clock. It also comes with built-in speakers.
Meanwhile, if you do manage to leave your smartbed and spotlessly clean house then be sure to be save. Livall is keen to help you do this with its smart cycling and ski helmets.
The cycling range has commuter, mountainbiking and roadbike helmets. These have features such as fall detection, one-button SOS alert and LED smart warning lighting.
Other gadgets and apps at this year's virtual show include the Oral-B iO App. Perfect for your wisdom teeth! This smart toothbrush offers real-time individual tracking and coaching, thanks to artificial intelligence informed by thousands of recorded brushing sessions. You'll be guided through a two-minute brushing session with 3D teeth tracking.
Amazfit smartwatches, treadmills with surround sound speakers and earbuds were drawing quite a bit of attention online.
And there was plenty for hospitals, scientists and researchers to be wowed by too. One particularly impressive one is the CorNeat KPro. This is the first artificial cornea which completely integrates with the eye wall with no reliance on donor tissue.
This was successfully implanted in a human — surgery was performed on a bilaterally blind, 78-year-old male at Rabin Medical Center, Israel, by Professor Irit Bahar, Director of the Ophthalmology Department. Upon removal of bandages, the CorNeat KPro immediately enabled the patient to read text and recognize family members.
Professor Irit Bahar commented: "The surgical procedure was straight forward and the result exceeded all of our expectations. The moment we took off the bandages was an emotional and significant moment. Moments like these are the fulfillment of our calling as doctors. We are proud of being at the forefront of this exciting and meaningful project which will undoubtedly impact the lives of millions."
Check out ces.tech for loads more
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