Last week saw the great, the good and anyone else even remotely involved in the world of electronics descending upon the Convention Centre in Las Vegas for the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show. I already covered a few of the more innovative announcements, but it was such a jam packed show that I'd be remiss to simply leave it at that. Here I'll be wrapping up everything else from last week's show that deserves a mention, and if there's anything important you think I missed, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
Drones
Will 2015 be the “Year of the drone?” That depends on who you ask, but if this year's CES was anything to go by, these personal, unmanned flying machines could very well be on every gadget enthusiasts wish list come summer. A drone (for those few remaining layman amongst you) is a flying electronic device with a mounted camera, which is generally propelled by 4 blades (effectively making it a “Quadrocopter”) and can either control itself or be remote controlled by a pilot. The idea behind a drone is to capture photos and videos in a manner not possible through other means, and whilst there have been worries that such devices could be used for nefarious purposes, most drone pilots are benevolent hobbyists.
If this year's CES was anything to go by, a drone could very well be on every gadget enthusiasts wish list come summer
Models shown off at the exhibition included the tiny Nixie, which transforms from a wristband into a fully functioning miniature drone that captures full HD images and video, and can sync with most smartphones via a bespoke app. A more 'traditional' drone came in the form of the Phantom 2 Vision+ by DJI, which has now opened itself up to outside developers, making it one of the first official “Open Source” drones. One such developer is Bryan Field-Elliot from PixiePath, who is working on a web-based application, that will be able to potentially control entire fleets of Phantoms. DJI also unveiled their new Inspire 1 drone, which boasts an integrated 4K video camera, making it the perfect choice for budding film makers. At just a shade under 3 grand it's certainly not a small investment, but think of the possibilities!
Cars
Many industry experts seem to think that driverless cars are the future. It's not difficult to see the benefits, and being able to legally down a skinful at your local before driving home legally, without putting yourself or anyone else in harm's way is just the beginning. Driverless cars will (in theory) be less prone to the accidents generally caused by human error, and will be able to communicate with one another, meaning our roads should run at maximum efficiency (no more traffic jams). The M6 will never again be the endless nightmare we all know it as today (at least one can hope). Of course we're not there just yet. Indeed most of the cars on show at CES this year a combination of robotic and conventional systems, but a completely driverless future is certainly within spitting distance.
Nissan announced they had teamed up with NASA to work on their own car, a car that has been designed to navigate the world's major cities and the surface of Mars!
Mercedes rolled out their F015 concept car, which bore more than a striking resemblance to the self-driving cars seen in the Will Smith sci-fi action film “I Robot,” with inward facing seats set around a small coffee table and LED lights that allowed it to communicate with other drivers and pedestrians. The car also uses gesture recognition (imagine a Nintendo Wii, only far more advanced), which means the car can be controlled with body movements. Audi and BMW also unveiled their own driverless cars, which can be programmed to pick up their passengers using a smart device. Nissan even announced they had teamed up with NASA to work on their own car, a car that has been designed to navigate not only the streets of the world's major cities, but the surface of Mars! Seems like Nissan really have one foot in the future with this one!
Health & Fitness
Whilst health and safety might not necessarily be the first words that come to mind when someone mentions a consumer electronics show, there was a significant presence this year when it came to gizmos designed to help us keep trim and healthy. From fitness trackers that measure a wearers heart rate, blood pressure, and even muscle tone, to “Smart Shirts,” packed with sensors, if you are into fitness in a big way, the next 12 months could prove a truly exciting time.
The BoBe fitness tracker is supposedly able to monitor a wearers caloric intake from a simple wrist-based sensor
The SmartMat, which began life as an Indiegogo project, is a yoga mat that hooks up to your smart device and uses a range of sensors to guide you through 60 different poses. It also gives you feedback on your progress. The BoBe fitness tracker, meanwhile, is supposedly able to monitor a wearers caloric intake via a simple wrist-based sensor. Perhaps the most interesting piece of kit I noticed, however, was the Tao Chair, which is a unique chair (that looks like it belongs in a Stanley Kubrick movie) designed to provide users with a full workout. Don't ask me how it works, but the idea of working out whilst sitting down is beyond appealing (to me at least).
Everything Else
If I were to fully go into detail on everything unveiled at this year's CES, I'd be here all day, but I'll just mention a few more interesting announcements.
Samsung made a big deal out of what they called the upcoming “Third age of technology,” which is set to involve all of our home devices being interconnected
Samsung made a big deal out of what they called the upcoming “Third age of technology,” which is set to involve all of our home devices being interconnected. 8K TV also made it's presence felt in a big way, though whilst Sharp made some ambitious statements, their TVs are not strictly 8K, as they use pixel-splitting to approximate “Virtual 8K.” There were also plenty of non-flying robots on display, but when it came to robotics in general, most attendees had their attentions focused on the skies.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK. His ticket to CES 2015 obviously got lost in the mail.
