E-skates and anxiety-reducing pillows unveiled at Vegas gadget show
Avocado scanner among a host of quirky devices on display at world's biggest tech show
A gadget that can test for when an avocado is ripe, electric roller skates and an anxiety-reducing pillow are among the technologies to be unveiled at the world’s largest gadget show this week.
The OneThird Ripeness Checker was demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Wednesday, an annual gathering of consumer technology enthusiasts in Las Vegas.
The ripeness checker is designed for use by grocers and shoppers to quickly scan fruit and vegetables to determine whether they are ripe, without squeezing them and damaging the products.
It can predict the shelf life of everything from avocados and tomatoes to strawberries and blueberries, helping cut down on food waste by more predicting when products will go bad.
OneThird, the Dutch company behind the device, takes its name from the claim that one third of all food produced is wasted. The company claims it can predict the shelf life of a product to within one day.
“We’re proud to have built the first product that accurately and objectively predicts the shelf life of fresh produce,” Marco Snikkers, chief executive of OneThird, said last month.
The gadget joined a host of new and quirky technology products on display at the event in Nevada, which is expected to attract more than 100,000 technology fans.
Visitors were able to try out a pair of electric roller skates, billed as a potential new form of commuter transport. The AtmosGear skates can travel at up to 20mph and have a range of about 20 miles. They have been designed as an alternative to e-bikes for short journeys.
Also on show were a host of ominous-looking masks designed to filter out air pollution or to mask a user’s speech to maintain privacy. Japanese company Yukai Engineering showed off a pillow designed to reduce anxiety. Visitors could also try on a iSyncWave headset that can detect brain health conditions in 10 minutes.
Other technology included a $3,300 (£2,740) pram, which drives itself, and a bird box with built in cameras for bird watching enthusiasts. Computing giant Acer has launched a $999 gizmo-charging exercise bike, which can recharge laptops and smartphones so people can peddle while they work from home.
CES has long been a staple of technology trade shows, but was forced online during the pandemic and downsized last year as dozens of major tech giants pulled out over Covid fears.
The convention managed to draw around 40,000 attendees in 2022, well below the 180,000 it attracted before the pandemic.
Large numbers of attendees from China have also dropped away, as companies stay away due to frosty relations with the US and coronavirus restrictions on travellers.
Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, said: “The annual pilgrimage to Vegas by the technology industry is well and truly underway with the show returning to full strength after the disruption of the pandemic. There is a lot of excitement from the tech media hoping to find the latest new technology that will set the agenda for 2023.”
“The primary focus areas appear to be around audio visual technology, smart home solutions and automotive developments, but the usual array of tech-junk seems to be on display too, with the bike desk from Acer looking like an early contender for one of the most bizarre products at CES.”
Even more unusual devices included an all-body virtual reality suit, the HaritoraX, a kind of boiler suit that tracks a user's movements, eyes and mouth. Another virtual reality gadget on show, the OVR, is designed to mimic the sense of smell.
Health technology company Withings, best known for its smart watches, has developed a device that plugs into your toilet to monitor the health of urine.
However, some major companies still have a scaled back presence. For the first time in years, Sony, the Japanese tech giant, has decided not to unveil any new televisions at the trade show.
Sony is, however, expected to show off the company’s Playstation VR 2 headset, its popular virtual reality gadget.
In recent years, car companies have also frequented the event, showing off a range of electric vehicles and self-driving car technology. BMW and microchip company AMD are expected to give keynote speeches this year.
First held in the 1960s, CES is known for zany innovations on consumer goods. Regular products on show include smart fridges, kitchen gadgets and internet connected-toilets.