A robot therapy duck, a suitcase that follows your every move and a voice-disguising mask that looks like it belongs to a certain Batman villain are among the many wares on display at CES 2018.
The sprawling four-day trade show is a feast of all things technological, as the world’s largest electronics firms mingle with niche futurist entrepreneurs at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Here are a few of the products you need to know about:
Travelmate: a fully autonomous robot suitcase
This futuristic luggage line from a San Francisco-based startup can roll alongside its owner at speeds up to 11 kilometres per hour, using guidance from a smartphone. It avoids obstacles and people in busy airports and crowded sidewalks, and matches the owner’s walking speed. It even has its own built-in scale, so your bag will never be overweight.
According to the company, Travelmate is an “autonomous robot companion” that “uses AI and machine learning to optimize its movements.” Other noteworthy features include fingerprint-based locks, a wirelessly chargeable battery that can also draw power from a standard outlet, and LED lights that make it look like you have a Star Wars droid following you around.
Prices listed on the company’s website start at US$1,099 for the smallest size.
My Special Aflac Duck: a fuzzy friend to help comfort children with cancer
Developed by Rhode Island-based Sproutel Inc. in collaboration with the U.S. insurance giant whose mascot quacks its name on television, this social robotics project is designed to help children with cancer communicate more effectively with parents and caregivers during treatment.
The duck is programmed with a series of playful responses. Scratch its chin, you get a little quack. Tickle under its wing, and it erupts with laughter. But it’s more than a new Tickle Me Elmo.
Young cancer patients often have trouble describing how they feel. RFID-enabled emoji tokens allow the duck to express a range of feelings on their behalf when children press the emojis to its chest.
The duck can also coach kids through breathing exercises, make soothing sounds, and mimic speech patterns in quacks.
Aflac hopes to get a duck in the hands of all children diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., free of charge.
Hushme: drown out your speech in style
Hushme describes itself as the “world’s first voice mask for mobile phones.” It’s also one of the best ways to look like Bane, Batman’s rival in “The Dark Night Rises” film from 2012.
The company claims the Hushme is perfect for moments when you need to take a sensitive call in a public place without being eavesdropped upon. The device is designed to make your voice incomprehensible to those around you by using a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, and a thick mask that clasps in front of your mouth with a pair of magnets.
The designers have gone a step further to make Hushme even more cartoonish. It has external speakers than can play “customized masking sounds” including a monkey, Darth Vader and the ocean to enhance your privacy and entertain officemates.
The company is continuing its crowdfunding campaign. The device was also on display at CES in 2017.
