This blog normally looks back at the technology of yesteryear. But one genre has always been around since the 50s and 60s; that genre of science fiction. Looking into the future to imagine what technologies await us. Well, often science fiction quickly becomes reality. Future technology is evolving at the speed of light. Advancements and inventions keep increasing in every area of our lives: from online 5 minimum deposit casinos, to new methods of transportation, to the comforts of home. The American exhibition CES 2022 demonstrates the migration of technology toward a contactless and autonomous future, suggests how to communicate in a meta-universe and designates a range of devices to combat loneliness. Automotive brands are inventing color-changing concept cars, and our homes promise to be filled with compact, smart devices that solve many problems at once. The future is indeed bright.
Autonomous vehicles
The Indy Autonomous Challenge drone race was probably the most spectacular part of CES in 2022. Teams from nine countries demonstrated the cars’ capabilities at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway: the event should bring even more attention to autonomous technology and innovation in the space. The organizing committee noted that autonomous driving technology will be important not only for conventional cars, but also in emergency response and logistics development. Unmanned trucks can help solve the supply chain problems that have become ubiquitous in recent months. Organizers are confident that the use of unmanned technology will not be limited to roads – it will empower millions with limited mobility.
Accessibility and communication
The interest of companies in the development of technologies related to accessibility is a direct consequence of the pandemic. For the first time at CES, important talks for the industry were broadcast live. For example, Sony’s Bravia Cam camera is built into the company’s top-of-the-line televisions and allows for video conferencing right on the screen. Sony promises gesture control, and the camera automatically detects the distance from the viewer to the TV for optimal image calibration. Online drawing and music lessons are also trending. Among the most interesting exhibits – the invention of the Dutch company Tover called Magic Table – an innovative system of cognitive stimulation, which is scientifically proven to significantly improve the well-being and quality of life of people with problems such as dementia, dementia or learning difficulties. The projector is attached to the ceiling above a table where players can sit and interact with the moving projections. Also among the companies highlighted by experts is Dignity Lifts, which makes toilet seat elevators that help people get on and off the toilet.
Meta Universe: Haptic Vests
The renaming of Facebook to Meta – perhaps this rebranding simply reflects tech brands’ desire to guess what the meta-universe might mean to real consumers. Designers are already immersed in concept development – and some are already opting to use virtual platforms to showcase new products instead of face-to-face interactions with consumers. This year, for example, Samsung’s My House project debuted on the Zepeto meta-universe platform. Companies are still competing to create smart glasses that help you immerse yourself in virtual reality, but this year is characterized by attempts to recreate an already realistic experience in a virtual world. For example, Panasonic introduced the PebbleFeel, a virtual vest that allows people to feel the heat and cold in the metaclass universe – it is produced by a subsidiary of Shiftall, made of lightweight material. Wrapped around the chest, it provides temperatures ranging from 9 to 42 degrees Celsius. Other tactile vests, like the one from the Spanish firm Owo (the model was a winner in the innovation sector), allow people to experience up to three dozen different sensations while they are in the metaworld or playing video games.
Sustainability and carbon neutrality
This year’s CES focuses on sustainability. Following the COP26 climate summit, during which world leaders committed to clean energy use and the pursuit of carbon neutrality, major brands from GM to Samsung discussed sustainability and clean tech efforts. Construction firm SK Ecoplant, for example, unveiled the first plan for its own “closed-loop economy” as part of a strategy to reduce waste and curb pollution. It is a system in which raw materials, components and products lose minimal value during use, allowing them to be reused. The Net Zero City Initiative is an economic model that attempts to solve environmental and energy problems through the use of waste, with plans to use technology to produce so-called “green hydrogen” based on renewable energy sources.
Companion robots and disinfection devices
Robots are usually one of the most popular sections at CES. Now robots are not just surprising, but solving some pressing problems. For example, Keenon’s new range of “service robots” includes a disinfection robot that is claimed to be able to kill 99.9% of germs and viruses in public places such as hospitals and schools. Along with fancy designs, potentially life-changing devices were also shown. Macroact has Maicat, a social robot in the form of a cat with artificial intelligence. This AI companion mimics the habits of a cat and can assess its owners’ emotional state using sensors to react accordingly. Another curious invention belongs to Esper Bionics, which introduced the bionic product Esper Hand, a prosthetic hand that picks up signals and uses an algorithm to give people with disabilities a more personalized approach.
Safe, accessible and smart home
Statistics show that many people who find themselves in the long term at home and have switched to shopping online have found themselves needing to increase the security of their own homes. Smart home brand Eufy has released a dual battery-powered camera, one of which captures visitors at the porch in a 160-degree field of view. The AI in the device helps recognize deliveries to the left of the door and even identifies friends and family. The Internet of Things and maximum customization of devices is still evolving. Increasingly interesting are the novelties that are able to combine many functions in a compact body: for example, the portable device Freestyle from Samsung has the functions of a powerful projector (if you hang it from the wall or ceiling, or even just put it on the table), and in non-working hours it serves as a smart speaker and lamp. Also the house is being equipped with beautiful and compact training equipment as a result of the pandemic – even climbing trainers (like Clmbr model) are possible, while they have a huge catalog of training.
These are just some of the latest inventions and technologies that show that the future is forever becoming the present.