From furry bots and sleep stickers to rollable phones - as ever, this year's CES was home to the weird and the wonderful tech innovations set to shape the years ahead. While we’d love to cover them all, we've brought you our 2021 top picks.
Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcases up-and-coming gadgets and innovations across technology. However, rather than taking over Vegas, like everything else in 2021 the event went virtual.
As companies took to sharing their latest and greatest marvels over the web, many of this year's inventions were focussed around - you guessed it...the home. But with smart glasses, AI beauty, and even controllable cannabis devices also getting a look in, innovations bent on optimizing new elements of our everyday rituals are on the horizon.
Fluffy robot hamster
Meet Moflin, a cuddly AI hamster-bot that won over audiences at this year's event. Beyond being supremely huggable, the mini bot is equipped with gyroscopes, touch sensors, and microphones to learn how to interact with different users depending on their needs.
As the relationship between humans and technology grows increasingly intimate, the shift towards more haptic inventions is accelerating, with people seeking out new kinds of physical comfort from their bots.
Cannabis controllers
This CES marked the year that cannabis and tech's relationship became official. Leading the march is Mode, a dosing device that lets users adjust doses to the milligram in order to achieve the perfect high.
Equipped with an app that enables users to monitor their intake and refine their toke, the invention is set to be the first in a wave of devices helping consumers take greater control over their highs.
Sleep stickers
Forget smart pillows and sleep spray - at-home sleep tool Tatch has introduced wearable stickers to the sleep market. Hooked up to an app to track everything from your snoring to late-night movements, the patches cost $60…but you’ll have to join an extensive waiting list to get your hands on one.
With anxiety around optimizing and decluttering sleep routines only set to grow, we can expect to see a host of increasingly subtle, screen-free devices hitting the market.
LG’s virtual frontman
LG decided to make the most of this year's digital environment by rolling out their very own virtual influencer to help host their show. Animated, knowledgeable, and (goes without saying) entirely non-human, Reah Keem ran audiences through LG’s latest releases such as CLOi bot and their Gram laptop.
While normally reserved for the runway or the catwalk, as digital events of all kinds grow more common and humans falter behind their Zoom calls….perhaps more businesses will jump on the virtual host hype.
AR smart glasses
Here to prove that Google glass didn't spell the end of the smart glass dream, Vuzix has released a new breed of AR smart glasses that can map images onto the inside of the lenses. Capable of being hooked up to Wi-Fi or LTE, the glasses can be synced with users' smartphones and devices like noise-canceling headphones for a multisensory smart experience.
With 2020 marking the year AR moved mainstream, we can expect to see a range of devices integrating this technology more seamlessly into our everyday lives.
Rollable Phones
Bored of your clunky rectangle? We have some good news - LG dropped the first video teaser for their new rollable smartphone. Aptly named ‘Rollable’, the device boasts an adjustable and (you guessed it) rollable screen with no apparent hinge or folding mechanism in sight.
Despite being one of the first to hit the market, the move comes off the back of increased frustration around growing screen size - if successful we can expect to see manufacturers get increasingly creative with their formats.
Instagrammable bespoke fridges
The kitchen is about to get interesting. Samsung debuted a line of bespoke refrigerators that can be customized according to your living space and aesthetic preferences. Available in eight colors including ‘champagne steel’ and ‘rose glass pink’ the brand is betting on wooing younger audiences with its fresh new fridge game.
Given that the home has become a pseudo-public space in the pandemic, we’re likely to see more innovations upgrading everyday appliances into personalized pieces.
Gadget glow-ups
Beauty fans rejoice! In a bid to take the guesswork out of virtual testers, YSL has unveiled a new AI device that customizes lipstick shades for each user. Synced up to an app, users can select the ‘shade wheel’ ‘shade match’ or stylist to get their dream lippy. Already available to pre-order at a pricey $299 the move comes following a year where hyper-personalization became a must-have for all beauty brands.
Matilda Ruck is a Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in Politics and Philosophy as well as a foundation in psychotherapy and is passionate about exploring the interplay between creativity, psychology and culture. Outside of work, you can find her writing short stories, tending to her ginger cat Thomas O’Malley or oscillating between yoga and karaoke practice.
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