Six possible technologies from CES 2016 – Part 1

Find the needle in the CES haystack.  That’s not easy, since there were 3200 exhibits last year and 170,000 attendees, with this year’s totals for the show not out just yet.   The Consumer Technology Association -- renamed from Consumer Electronics Association -- wants to be new, as the 500 startups in the Eureka Park exhibit area must have figured out by now. And the plethora of health exhibitors and speakers at the Digital Health Summit act as testimony to the importance of health and then there are the CES essentials: stereo/headphones, smartphones, sensor/wearables, smarter cars, sensory experiences and sleep -- not necessarily together or in that order. And the mostly young attendees will be excited to find an age suit to add 40 years to their age. No kidding.

Let’s start wading through the list of offerings. Here is a part 1 pass at some interesting tech announcements from CES, including the ever-there robots. It’s also important to note that not every offering displayed at CES makes into the marketplace during the year that follows (or ever, in some cases).

• WiseWear. "We recently launched our first line of luxury smart jewelry called the Socialite Collection. Each bracelet is made of brass and plated in precious metals such as gold and palladium. Such brass material allows Socialite to be water-resistant, anti-microbial, hypoallergenic, and considerably more durable than most wearables currently offered in the market. Featured from top left to right, clockwise: the Calder (gold), the Duchess (palladium), the Duchess (gold), the Kingston (palladium), the Calder (palladium). Each bracelet is equipped with advanced features such as activity tracking, mobile notifications, and distress messaging." Learn more at WiseWear.
• Halo smoke alarm. "Halo is the only smoke alarm to combine dedicated sensor technology to quickly detect both fast and slow-burning fires and carbon monoxide in a single device. Smart sensors can tell the difference between a false alarm and a real fire. And with Halo+, an embedded weather radio keeps you informed in the event of a weather threat like a tornado or hurricane. Two smoke alarms, one goal: Complete peace of mind for you and your family. Halo and Halo+ use a ring of light and voice alerts to tell you exactly what’s wrong. You’ll also get an alert on your phone, where it’s easy to monitor or hush an alarm, and our system works with almost all the connected platforms you know. That means you’re free to select the connected home platform that best meets your needs." Learn more at Halo Smart Labs.
• Smart spoon and fork, smart cup.  "Technology merges with health, big data and the Internet of Things in products being launched by GYENNO. The company is launching the only Smart SPOON and FORK which counteract hand tremors from Parkinson's Disease and other conditions by keeping the utensil steady and collects data in the cloud about the patient's tremors. The GYENNO Smart CUP is the only interactive cup featuring an LCD screen, is washable and provides user feedback. The solutions integrate sensors along with data about certain health conditions and sophisticated algorithms. GYENNO products have won 3 design awards: Red Star Design Award; Golden PIN Design Award; and SZIDF Design Award." Learn more at Geyenno.
• Robot Pepper. "SoftBank Robotics enlisted Watson to provide new functionality for its robot Pepper, honing in on learning and understanding language and gestures to interact naturally with humans. Just under a year after Watson learned how to speak Japanese, IBM's supercomputer is about to get more familiar with one of the country's most famous robots. Pepper, the emotional android developed by SoftBank and Aldebaran Robotics, will get a version powered by Watson with an SDK that allows developers to tap into what IBM calls "cognitive computing." Learn more at Softbank Group.
• Patin by Flower Robotics. "The automated robot platform is designed to work with existing products, essentially turning whatever you own into a robotic version of itself. Patin is provided as an open-source platform equipped with an interface to connect service units on the autonomously movable body with AI. Third party companies can develop own idea of robotic products as service units of Patin that enables them to provide their products without hard work of AI development. Then, we can lower the barriers for them entering into the robotic product development.  By providing third-party developers with technical support like SDK and simulator, small developers such as a group or even an individual will become able to participate in the development through platforms." Learn more at Flower Robotics.
• Netatmo outdoor presence detection. "Netatmo is no stranger to home monitoring cameras, and at this year's CES, the company is taking its efforts outside. The WiFi-connected Presence outdoor security camera has a unique feature: It can distinguish between cars, people and animals. In addition to real-time monitoring, the gadget can also be set up to record only when it detects a person or a car, for example. You'll get a notification to your phone through N app, where you can flip on the flood light to deter any would-be intruders." Learn more at Netatmo.