“This past year has been unlike any other. We’ve been challenged but we also have opportunities. And the opportunity has been, as a world, we moved into this digital transformation quicker and by several years we would have otherwise. We’ve been force to adapt and we have.” That was the message from CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro who acknowledged the fact that this year’s CES, instead of Las Vegas, they must continue the annual tech event gathering through a virtual stage.
Samsung, LG, and other big companies in the tech world, as well as startups are presenting more than one of their latest tech products.
“We are excited of CES this year because it provides an opportunity for a much more expansive group of people to get their foot in the door, wherein the past it’s been primarily media, a lot of our special retailers, and now it’s the broad audience of all consumers who have any interest in our products,” said Grace Dolan, Samsung Electronics in America, in one of her video messages for CES 2021.
Since this year is a different CES because of the pandemic, new and upcoming techs that are related to COVID-19 are presented and showcase to give the audience an opportunity to see products that can be used to fight off the virus. And of course, CES 2021 will still have the amazing, coolest, craziest, and weird electronics that people have come to expect.
Devices that track and measure temperature, heart, and respiratory rate
In our previous article, we talked about the Touchless Video Doorbell. Today, there is another one from a company called Plott and they built a doorbell called the Ettie that can take people's temperature before they're allowed inside. This is perfect for homes or offices who are always accepting visitors and guests.
Residents and those who are inside their offices will not have to worry much if the guests that are coming in have signs of fever or not. It’s one way to be cautious that can be part of our standard health protocols.
Since the pandemic began, more people are concern about their health. At CES 2021, there’s a disposable and wearable device called BioButton that can track and monitor your health condition for the day. The FDA-cleared FDA-approved device, disposable after about 90 days of use, will continuously measure temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate with clinical accuracy, says maker BioIntelliSense. It's worn on your upper left chest, and an app will deliver notifications confirming you're "Cleared" or "Not Cleared" to entry at work or a doctor's office, for example.
Air purifiers
If you’re having sleepless nights thinking of the air you breathe, some tech companies think they can help fight coronavirus through air filtration. Indeed, air purifiers are one of the most in-demand anti COVID-19 devices that people are purchasing since the pandemic began last year.
LG Electronics is not just a maker of OLED TVs and home appliances. You’ll be surprised to know that this tech giant has been making air-purification products for years.
“I think what’s happened this year, because we are spending so much time in our homes, and so much time online, consumers now have become more educated about the benefits of air purification,” said Dan Hayes, who oversees emerging products at LG USA.
Already in the market is PuriCare Mini ($199.99), a portable air filter with a rechargeable battery that filters viruses, bacteria, and allergens from around you. Quiet and light (just more than one pound), the PuriCare can clean 50% of the air inside a car in 10 minutes, LG says.
Luft Duo, another device, is a battery-powered air purifier that claims to clean the air around you. It does that with a combination of disposable HEPA filters and UV light. It's about the size of a bobble head for your car dashboard.
Another, CleanAirZone, built an air filter that uses "natural biotics and enzymes derived from nature," rather than traditional filters.
Meanwhile, Airthings built a sensor called Wave Plus, which tracks carbon dioxide levels, humidity, and temperature, which could help identify how much more likely may be to transmit the virus. The Wave Plus is built for offices while the smaller Wave Mini is meant for in-home use.
A handy robot at home
Samsung's Bot Handy, is the company's vision for "a better new normal," as more people work, cook, eat, and drown in dishes at home than ever during the global pandemic.
It's only in development for now -- no pricing or release date has been announced -- but Samsung said it is part of a greater effort to make technology to simplify your life at home. "The technologies in your home need to work harder to help you adjust to this new normal," the company said in its session description on the CES website.
These new techs don’t mean that we are truly safe from coronavirus. These are just our added protection that we can use in addition to the health standard protocols set up by the government.
Check out for more of the newest techs at https://digital.ces.tech/home. Digital venue will be open through February 15.
CES 2022 will be happening on Jan. 5-8, in Las Vegas.