It’s not all about big TVs and fitness trackers. In among the halls of CES, there are some of the more unusual products to grab your attention.
Here are a few of them from this year’s show:
Belty
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Sometimes, technology presents us with solutions for which there are no problems. A smart belt buckle may just fall into that category. Connecting to your smartphone, Belty can adjust itself automatically as you stand up and sit down, making sure your trousers are always at the optimum fastening point.
Or it can take on the role of slightly dictatorial health assistant, making sure you move regularly, vibrating if you’ve been sitting still for too long and tracking changes in your waistline.
The product is a little way from becoming a staple item in your winter wardrobe though; it’s bulky and probably not the most fashionable belt you’ve ever laid eyes on.
Rocket skates
The name is slightly misleading: it conjures up images of rocket-powered skates that will have you zipping from place to place in a matter of seconds. Acton’s Rocketskates may not be jet propelled, but they are smart and electric. And strangely compelling.
Strap on the skates over your regular shoes and you are ready to go. The skates are remote-free and controlled by tilting forward to accelerate, and back to hit the brakes.
They’re like expensive Heelys for grownups.
Ring
Imagine you could control your home electronics with a wave of your finger. That’s what Ring is promising – gesture controls for those who really don’t want to have to push buttons to control volume or switch lights on and off. All you have to do is slip the device on your finger and you are ready to start. But Ring has had its issues.
After raising more than $880,000 in a Kickstarter drive, Ring had to go back to the drawing board for its product, mainly due to the size (bulky) and the materials (not very signal friendly).
The redesigned version is still a bit on the bulky side, but it certainly was attention grabbing. It’s currently priced at $269, and a hub that will allow you to control your home appliances is set to be released in March.
BlueMotion
There are some things you never thought you’d connect to a smartwatch, and a Bluetooth-enabled massager may be just that step too far for most people.
OhMiBod specialises in sex tech, and has brought new functions to its blueMotion products – a line of Bluetooth-enabled massagers – with a new Remote interface.
Using OhMiBod Remote, you can control the massagers over Bluetooth and Wifi, and a smartwatch compatible app will allow users to control patterns and intensity.
But they’re not just triggered by smartwatches. The massagers now have biofeedback capabilities, which means they can read and react to your heart rate. Heart rate speeds up, so does the vibration intensity.
3D Rudder
Taking the idea of hands-free gaming literally, the 3DRudder is a foot-controlled navigation and motion controller that has one advantage over other motion-sensing peripherals: it’s designed to be used sitting down.
Yes, an end to the jumping around your living room trying to control your character on-screen; the 3DRudder may well be the coach potato saviour. All you have to do is rest your feet on it, tilting it in the direction you want to go, with a pedal to move up and down. It can be used as a controller for existing games, emulating a joystick or keystrokes. And it’s not just for gaming: the device can also be used with CAD software, for example.
Edwin the duck
Meet the most high-tech duck ever to enter your bath water. Edwin is Bluetooth enabled and has multiple uses. Not only does he fulfil the regular role of a rubber duck (he’s water resistant, yellow, and bobs pretty well) but he also plays your music, connects with an app for interactive learning, acts as a bath thermometer and works as a nightlight.
If the water is too hot, he turns red and quacks to warn parents. In his nightlight role, he can play soothing sounds. And when you want him to interact with your child through the app, there are songs and stories to choose from, with the goal of establishing routine and good habits for children.
