The robotic massage table, a Covid-19 breathalyser and an ultraportable electric wheelchair: Tech entrepreneurs show off more bizarre inventions at CES 2022
- The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is running in Law Vegas until Sunday
- Thousands of new inventions and products are being unveiled at the event
- Among them are a very lifelike robot built by a company based in Cornwall
- Another robotic product is a massage table with a pair of automated arms
A breathalyser that spots Covid-19, a robotic massage table, and an ultraportable electric wheelchair are among the many bizarre inventions unveiled at CES 2022.
The event is being held in person in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as online for people who can’t travel – with tens of thousands of ideas, concepts and products on show.
The massage table, by Massage Robotics, has two arms and responds to verbal commands in real time, but it has a whopping $310,000 (£228,000) price tag, and was just one of a number of relaxation devices on show at CES this year.
Covid-19 is present throughout the event, including in the absence of some major companies such as Amazon and Google, but it is also present in the purpose of a number of products on display, including a breath analyser that detects the virus.
A breathalyser that spots Covid-19, a robotic massage table, and an ultraportable electric wheelchair are among the many bizarre inventions unveiled at CES 2022
The annual event runs until Saturday, and MailOnline has created this roundup of some of the weird and wonderful inventions revealed by firms large and small.
Robotic massage table
Massage and comfort has played a big part int he 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, including the launch of a fully automated massage table.
Unveiled by Massage Robotics, the full body massage robot was designed to be placed in a massage salon and help those resistant to a human masseuse.
The massage table, by Massage Robotics, has two arms and responds to verbal commands in real time, but it has a whopping $310,000 (£228,000) price tag, and was just one of a number of relaxation devices on show at CES this year
The startup built the robot with two arms, covering a seven square foot area to understand verbal commands.
It has a neural network that allows it to exchange data in real time and respond to the needs and demands of the user.
The robots arms can operate in 6-axis and work together to create an ideal massage routine for the person on the table, drawing from a database.
It can control location, duration, path, speed and force based on the needs, including removing knots from the back.
Users will also be able to share their favourite routines, and select the ones they want to use from a library on a smartphone.
It does come with a hefty price tag, as it is aimed at the commercial, rather than home market, with a base model costing $310,000 (£228,000).
Covid-19 breathalyser
The OPTEEV Freedom by ViraWarn is a handheld Covid-19 detection breath analyser that was revealed at the 2022 Consumer Electronic Show.
The device is designed for prevention of disease, rather than a way to confirm infection – and works with flu and other viruses beyond Covid-19.
The OPTEEV Freedom by ViraWarn is a handheld Covid-19 detection breath analyser that was revealed at the 2022 Consumer Electronic Show
As well as a handheld device that works like a breathalyser, the firm has created a room detection air analyser that performs a similar function, but passively
‘With more people dying from Covid-19 in the first six months of 2021 than all of 2020, it’s clear that the pandemic is far from behind us,’ Conrad Bessemer, chairman and co-founder of Opteev, said.
‘Opteev’s mission is to deliver personal health safety in a world where we’re less tolerant of behaviours that promote virus transmission but also eager to get back into the classroom, office, or other indoor settings.’
On its website, the firm says its device could be used when exiting the gym or an Uber and give discreet, instant results.
As well as a handheld device that works like a breathalyser, the firm has created a room detection air analyser that performs a similar function, but passively.
Ultraportable wheelchair
The WHILL Model F foldable personal electric vehicle was shown at CES on Wednesday, designed to be ultra portable.
It is designed to be suitable for everyone, making mobility easier and more flexible – including for seniors and people with trouble walking.
The WHILL Model F foldable personal electric vehicle was shown at CES on Wednesday, designed to be ultra portable
Unlike a wheelchair, designed for patients in a medical environment, this new mobility vehicle is designed to fit an active lifestyle for everyday use.
It is lightweight and foldable, making it easier to load into a car, or even travel by air, according to the firm behind the technology.
It also comes with a smartphone app that lets you drive and lock the Model F remotely, and check information such as mileage and battery level.
Lifelike humanoid robot
An Ameca model humanoid robot, built by British company Engineered Arts was given its first public outing at CES, after months of being shown off on YouTube.
The grey-faced, humanoid bot has been designed to have facial movements, and interactions that closely reflect human mannerisms.
An Ameca model humanoid robot, built by British company Engineered Arts was given its first public outing at CES, after months of being shown off on YouTube
It first came online late last year when the Cornish firm uploaded a video to YouTube, prompting Elon Musk to say ‘Yikes’ on Twitter.
The device has been designed as a research platform, rather than a product in its own rights, but the firm envision it leading to humanoid robots being used in public service environments, including as information terminals in airports.
‘We were incredibly surprised,’ said Morgan Roe, Engineered Arts’ director of operations. ‘Overnight, it became a sensation. We got 24 million views on one Twitter post.’
Ten second toothbrush
The Y-Brush is concept design for a new type of electric toothbrush that claims to be able to clean teeth as well as a conventional brush in only 10 seconds.
The device was first unveiled by the previously unknown company at CES in 2017, and that first version is now on sale in more than 50 countries.
The Y-Brush is concept design for a new type of electric toothbrush that claims to be able to clean teeth as well as a conventional brush in only 10 seconds
This latest version is a prototype that claims to improve on the original, with a brush head that resembles a mouthguard that is packed with nylon bristles.
A motor inside the handle vibrates while the bristles clean all of your teeth one jaw at a time – rather than a few teeth at a time.
The handle of the original brush was a awkward to hold, according to reports, but the new version is rounded and tapered, to make it easier to hold.
In the new design there is only a need to move the brush left and right, rather than slowly twisting it as was the case with the original.
Ultra-light flying vehicle
The SkyDrive SD-03 ultra-light, compact flying vehicle that requires no runway was unveiled at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Founded in July 2018, SkyDrive is and eVTOL company based in Tokyo, Japan, with the goal of making safer, cheaper aircraft that cost less to manufacture, are less noisy than other aircraft, are autonomous and require less infrastructure.
The SkyDrive SD-03 ultra-light, compact flying vehicle that requires no runway was unveiled at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada
The plan is to start using the aircraft by the middle of this decade to move people and goods throughout a rural or urban area.
The firm designed this model, shown off at CES, as an ‘on-demand airtaxi booked using cell phone’, that, once booked would fly passengers to their destination.
It can carry a single passenger, and has an approximate cruise speed of 25-31 mph with a maximum flight time of 5-10 minutes.
It is 13.1 ft long, 13.1ft wide and 6ft 6 inches heigh – taking up about two average parking spaces.
The company expects the speed and flight time to increase by 2026 when it goes on sale.
L’Oreal hair dye system
L’Oréal unveiled its latest beauty technology innovation at CES, in the form of the Colorsonic, a lightweight, handheld device that uses an innovative, mess-free process to mix hair colour and apply it evenly.
The firm also announced the Coloright, an AI-driven hair colour system that can be used by salon stylists that use a virtual try-on system.
L’Oréal unveiled its latest beauty technology innovation at CES, in the form of the Colorsonic, a lightweight, handheld device that uses an innovative, mess-free process to mix hair colour and apply it evenly
It lets them project designed shades on to the hair to get the desired mix, before dying the hair. Selecting from thousands of options.
It was developed in response to consumer demand, and has been refined over the past five years to dispense the right dose of hair colour.
The device applies dye via an oscillating nozzle of bristles as they move in a zigzag pattern to evenly distribute it on the hair.
L’Oréal plans to launch Colorsonic to consumers in the U.S. beginning in early 2023
‘After years of research and development, we are thrilled to unveil technologies ahead of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that modernise the experience for millions of people worldwide who colour their hair at home and in the salon,’ said Guive Balooch, Global Head of Research and Innovation’s Tech Incubator at L’Oréal.
‘We aim to leverage science and technology to solve age-old problems for consumers, and Colorsonic is a great example of the power of innovating for consumers by innovating with consumers.’
L’Oréal plans to launch Colorsonic to consumers in the U.S. beginning in early 2023.
THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL INVENTIONS FROM CES 2022
A robotic cat that nips at your fingers, a smart bulb that monitors your health and a suit that puts you in the metaverse are among the thousands of products revealed at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week.
The event is being held in person in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as online for people who can’t travel — with tens of thousands of ideas, concepts and products on show.
As well as consumer electronic devices, there are new vehicles on show at CES, including a prototype electric SUV by Sony, and a LiDAR based breaking system.
The annual event runs from from today until Saturday, and MailOnline has created this roundup some of the weird and wonderful inventions unveiled so far.
CES is one of the largest trade fairs in the world, and despite the rise in Omicron cases, prompting Amazon and Google to drop out, the show has opened its doors to thousands of visitors.
One of the biggest sections of the 2022 show is transportation, with an increasing focus on electric and autonomous, it is becoming a fixture of CES.
Here are five of the most unexpected, unusual and fascinating inventions unveiled on the first day of the massive show:
Robot cat that nips your fingers
A robotic cat, called Amagami Ham Ham by Yukai Engineering, is possibly the weirdest product to come out of CES 2022.
It is a cuddly toy in the shape of a cat that can nibble your fingers, which the firm says is based on the idea that we all have a secret desire to have our fingers nibbled.
The concept is designed to be a stress reliever, and is driven by an algorithm that produces 20 different nibbling patterns.
This means that every time you put your finger in its mouth, you’ll get a different nibble than the time before, according to its developers.
The patterns include tasting, massaging and suction and it comes in two designs based on the Nemu Nemmu series — a calico cat and a shiba inu dog.
‘Most people like the nibbling sensation but know they need to teach their children or pets to stop it, because kids and animals will otherwise bite them with full force eventually,’ Yukai Engineering CMO Tsubasa Tominaga, told TechCrunch.
‘Amagami Ham Ham is a robot that frees humankind from the conundrum of whether ‘to pursue or not to pursue’ the forbidden pleasure.’
It isn’t clear how much the device will cost or when it will be available, although the firm are looking to run a crowdfunding campaign in the Spring.
A robotic cat, called Amagami Ham Ham by Yukai Engineering, is possibly the weirdest product to come out of CES 2022
Metaverse body suit
Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall has announced a range of products designed to help users immerse themselves in the metaverse.
They included the MeganeX VR headset, Pebble Feel metaverse-linked wearable heating and cooling device, and Mutalk microphone that is metaverse compatible.
The headset and microphone join the motion-tracking suit — Haritora X — that more closely immerses the user in the virtual world.
The headset is compatible with Steam VR and provides a high resolution display, while also being light, according to the firm.
The Pebble Feel is a palm-sized air conditioner than cools and heads the neck, when worn with a special shirt, to provide more realistic environmental simulations.
At CES the firm tested the suit, made up of the Pebble Feel and Haritora X on users wearing an Oculus VR headset.
Panasonic subsidiary, Shiftall, has announced a range of products designed to help users immerse themselves in the metaverse
Sony electric SUV
During a press conference ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sony took the wraps off its new Vision-S 02 SUV.
This is a new version of the firm’s first prototype battery-powered car that it has already been road testing.
The seven-seat utility vehicle measures in at around 4.85 metres long, which is fractionally longer than the Tesla Model Y SUV, and sits higher from the ground.
Despite looking different, Sony bosses said the ’02’ uses the same electric platform as the Vision-S saloon that has been tested on roads since December 2020.
That means power will likely be generated by a pair of 200kW motors – one at the front axle and one at the rear — producing a combined output of 536bhp from a four-wheel-drive system.
No further information about battery sizes and range capabilities have yet been released.
In terms of the Vision-S 02 SUV’s performance capabilities, Sony said it will have a top speed of ‘more than 112mph’.
During a press conference ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sony took the wraps off its new Vision-S 02 SUV
Health tracking lightbulb
US-based startup, Sengled, unveiled a smart lightbulb that makes use of radar sensors and bluetooth to provide health tracking information on people in a room.
Without having to wear any other devices, the bulb can track a user’s heart rate, body temperature and sleep patterns.
It uses Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar to map the room, or an entire house if they have bulbs in each room, and detect people in the home.
The smart bulb then uses its radar system, combined with artificial intelligence, to monitor the health and vital signs of people in the room.
It is also able to track physical movement, and so could be used in the home of an elderly person to watch for falls — and send the data to an app that can call a selected contact and alert them.
The product is still under development, so no details on pricing have been revealed, but it is expected to launch by the end of this year.
US-based startup, Sengled, unveiled a smart lightbulb that makes use of radar sensors and bluetooth to provide health tracking information on people in a room
Racing ‘carcopter’
French company Maca announced plans to test its eco-friendly £665,000 hydrogen-powered ‘carcopter’ on racetracks this year.
It will have a top speed of 155mph, does not create any CO2 emissions and is fully recyclable, according to the firm, who hope it will launch a new racing sport.
With three low-noise propellers, it has a metal chassis and a frame made of carbon, linen and wood – looking similar to flying vehicles int he game Wipeout.
Chief operating officer Thierry de Boisvilliers said: ‘There are many companies working toward similar solutions.
‘While most companies are relying on electricity or traditional fossil fuel to power their vehicles, Maca deploys clean-burning hydrogen-based fuel cells, which allows for longer flight times and green energy sustainability.’
Maca, which worked closely with Airbus on the invention, says the carcopter will be on the market by June 2023.
The Maca S11 Carcopter was unveiled on the opening night of the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas
Hyundai metaverse robots
Hyundai revealed details of an interactive and partly virtual future it calls ‘metamobility,’ where a variety of robotic devices interact with humans to provide a broad range of mobility services.
These, the motor company revealed, would range from automated individual transportation to remote control of robots in ‘smart’ factories.
Hyundai offered several examples of how it might link the metaverse and the real world, including a vehicle that can be transformed into a work space or an entertainment room that includes a 3D video game platform.
Other ideas include a ‘smart’ factory where humans outside the plant remotely control robots that interact with machines and products inside the plant.
Also, automated personal transportation devices for people with disabilities or individuals who want to maintain social distances while traveling.
To make all this work, the automaker said it was building a Mobility of Things ecosystem that will link modular robotic platforms to perform different services.
Hyundai revealed details of an interactive and partly virtual future it calls ‘metamobility,’ where a variety of robotic devices interact with humans to provide a broad range of mobility services
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