Smellscapes, robot dogs, and ‘awareables’ • TechCrunch

With CES about to kick off in earnest, the show floor opens tomorrow, and we’ve found plenty of interesting tech from the practical to the wacky (yet compelling) on ​​the show. Read on for our roundup of the coolest things we’ve seen so far.

Last night, I found a suitcase-sized electric bicycle, the Ikoma Tatamel. There are many trade-offs to reach that size (range, speed, wheel size, cost), but if you want an e-bike that fits in your trunk, it’s worth considering. It will be available later this year.

If you’re the type of person who likes smart home lighting and doesn’t have to reach for a light switch (what a hassle, right?), Nanoleaf has you covered. will learn how to use the light and automate it without you having to set up a routine. So when you see yourself walking from your bedroom to your kitchen in the morning, you recognize that it brings you a soft, sun-like glow. But when you enter from the dining room at 6:00, bright cooking lights come on.

But how do you lean off the couch when you’re immersed in the scent landscape AromaJoin creates? There are some demo experiences where you can shoot the all-important smoky smell up your nose while enjoying the crackling of fire and flickering lights, which Haje called the smell “very recognizable.” Coming out “soon”.

From the creators of the weird healing Qoobo soft robot cat comes Fufuly, the “breathing pillow”. It may sound silly, but it’s based on the idea that people naturally match their breathing rhythms to the ventilator and other people nearby. A pillow acts as your breathing partner. Instructions: “Turn on and give me a hug. That’s all I need.” I told you, Shunsuke. Stay tuned for his crowdfunding campaign later this year.

I wrote a bird companion last year In 2021, and now, the company is expanding from live identification of backyard songbirds to hummingbirds with new feeders. It recognizes 350 species and sends photos to your phone, of course, if you have visitors. Interestingly, the company is also active in data play. We are building a database of bird movements by recording bird types, times and locations. Maybe there’s a pattern here worth packaging as a product…

People who like the idea of ​​a smartwatch but don’t really like the “watch” part should be wary of the Nowatch, which the company calls a “recognizable” device. It reminds me of his old Misfit device because it lets you track your health without a display. There are no notifications, step count, sweat detection, and other metrics on the face with nice stones and gems.

Roku has been one of the go-to brands for smart TVs for years, but now the company has graduated from powering Samsung and TCL to making its own. The new Roku-branded TV lineup ranges from 24-inch to 75-inch and includes the latest voice remote control. If you want to watch a show without messing with Bluetooth, apps, etc., just plug in your headphones and it’s super convenient. Stay tuned for more details.

I remember talking to Formlabs during the 3D printing gold rush. He now aims to adopt high-volume additive manufacturing, using his ecosystem of automation to help printers run systematically 24/7. More plastic gadgets for everyone!

Doing a urine test isn’t anyone’s favorite activity, but a lot of it is because it’s so primitive. Home company Withings is showing off a urinalysis device for at-home health monitoring. This may not be for everyone, but it can be very valuable for those with specific medical conditions or working towards specific goals. Naturally, Europe gets this first.

Amazon will soon offer an Echo-esque smart display and speaker with mouse ears that responds to “Hey Disney!” Wow finally.

Toy company WowWee still sells RoboRaptor, but it has a new robotic dog called MINTiDDog-E. Dog-E for short hopefully, but that could lead to unwanted lawsuits.If you want a robotic dog but think Aibo is too basic, try this one. If a normal dog has a persistent visual LED embedded in its body, it will communicate by wagging its tail just like a normal dog.

Nuralogix claims to collect 1,000 diagnostic information from a 30-second selfie video, from blood pressure to stress to BMI to stroke risk to blood sugar levels. Sounds like a lot of bunk beds to me, but I think the good thing is to let them put theirs out and rate it on merit.

Canon is keen on interacting with 3D, AR, and Metaverse-style environments and some funky 3D video calling and virtual camera prototypes. It’s kind of cool, but there’s also that unfiltered brainstorming sense of his sessions from right before the holidays, M. Knight he said Shyamalan was there but with a twist it’s because they gave him money I think that I paid to appear.

We spoke with the creators of Kokomo, what they call 3D VR, and they really think it’s something new in the rather stagnant virtual presence space. Anything other than another gallery.

Delivery robots are still a novelty, found only on college campuses and other locked-down locations, but the technology is improving. Ottonomy’s Yeti robot looks like a small container rolling down the street or getting hit by a train. , but you can safely deposit the payload in a special locker. That means you don’t have to be there to pick up your package, but of course you can’t climb stairs like the Daleks.

Samsung has announced a wireless charger that acts as a smart home hub. Isn’t that already the case?

Luminar founder Austin Russell spoke about the company’s ambitions to do more than just create effective lidar devices, especially after it acquired a mapping startup. The company appears to be accelerating its move “up the stack” by buying smaller companies at steep discounts. Smart — I do the same with expired vegetables at the grocery store. Sure, the scales are different, but the philosophy is the same.

Usually, when you’re competing directly with Apple, you just sit in the corner and cry. Not Chipolo. Its tiny object tracker device competes with AirTags in some ways, and the company is fine with that. They play a different, simpler role (basically beeping ‘I forgot something’), happy for Apple to take over its ‘sophisticated worldwide network with UWB’. is. “We don’t build companies because we want to build companies, right? We build companies because we want to help people. And that’s what Apple does. So actually, it’s a good thing.” ” How refreshing.

Wearable chairs are becoming quite futuristic. What’s wrong with just lying down?

Samsung’s new washing machine has hit town. There are some innovations that can help reduce microplastics in your laundry. Of course, that horse left the barn a long time ago, so now fish and turtles are basically cyborgs. Agree to wear natural fibers!

Sony is working on a Gran Turismo movie starring Orlando Bloom directed by Neil Blomkamp. The Ridge Racer has been stolen! Sony, call me.

Sony also makes an accessible controller that rivals Microsoft’s awesome Xbox Adaptive Controller. Called Project Leonardo (for now, of course), it’s in the form of a UFO that allows users to connect devices such as switches and paddles, allowing people with physical disabilities to play like everyone else. increase. Hope to know more about it soon.