LAS VEGAS – From TVs to consoles, from metaverse headsets to electric cars. These days Las Vegas has the best of technology. But among the various stands of CES 2023 we also found some among the really special tech gadgets: here are the strangest devices at the fair.
The strangest gadgets of CES 2023
Among the large rooms of the Las Vegas Convention Center, during CES 2023 there are some of the strangest gadgets in the world. Be careful though: we do not use this term in a derogatory way. Indeed, these technological products demonstrate that ingenuity and imagination are still the driving forces of innovation. Or, without wanting to make trivial philosophy, they show that technology still manages to surprise us and leave us speechless.
Here are which devices managed to amaze even us of the techgameworld.com.it team during these days of the fair. Which add up to what we had already told you after the open event, the CES Unveiled.
Fufuly, the smart pillow to hug to fight anxiety
Fluffythe new smart pillow by Yukai Engineering, it best represents the mix of originality and intelligence we like in the strangest gadgets we saw at CES 2023.
The Japanese manufacturer developed this project together with theUniversity of Tokyowho studied the phenomenon of “rhythmic synchronization between individuals or between individuals and objects“. Hugging another person or a pet, synchronizing your breath, reduces anxiety levels and manages to calm us down.
Fufuly, is a cushion that recreates this effect, pulsing in rhythm to help you calm down and even fall asleep. Embracing this device, which has different levels based on how much you want to relax, allows you to breathe more calmly and fight anxiety.
And the Japanese company has also launched Lightony, a bedside lamp in the shape of a humanoid robot that moves its head to encourage you to sleep. And who as soon as you get up wishes you a good morning.
The strangest gadgets of CES 2023: the electric skates of AtmosGear
We hadn’t told you about it yet, but during the opening event of CES Unveiled, between one booth and another, we had to avoid colleagues who darted past us at full speed. They were trying the novelty of AtmosGear: a pair of electric skates.
A band around the hips for the drums, connected to rollerblades that would otherwise be ordinary skates. But this gadget, one of the strangest and funniest we’ve seen at CES 2023, allows you to dart at full speed up to 32 kilometers. An alternative to electric bikes and scooters, which more and more people are using to get around the city.
But the team of the French company AtmosGear tell us that their first goal is to entertain those who use these electric skates. And judging by the success they had among the journalists present in Las Vegasthey did it great.
Roland’s smart piano, carved out of wood
The world of music and that of technology meet at CES 2023, with one of the strangest but most elegant gadgets at the Las Vegas show.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first electronic piano by Rolandat CES 2023 the company presented a Really great Concept Piano. A product that the Japanese manufacturer has made with the usual great care and attention to sound, but which also has a large screen to follow the music and manage the sound.
But all this technology matches the warm style of the Japanese oak woodsculpted to create this unique piano, which the company has created with the furniture brand Karimoku. From which 14 strategically positioned speakers come out to bring quality music to CES in Las Vegas.
A robot who acts as a waiter and a nurse
Among the strangest gadgets, some robots could not be missing: there are really a lot of them at CES 2023. Indeed, we could have created a list of only “weirdest robots” and have plenty of material to write about. But there are two that impressed us the most. The first is a robotic waiter complete with a tuxedo.
TDK has made this robot that moves on wheels with great dexterity, but above all it has a tray that it holds in perfect balance with three mechanical arms. So your martini arrives stirred, not shaken.
But robots are not only useful for those who want a drink, but also for those who need daily support: real robotic nurses.
This humanoid robot of Aeolus Robotics has a mechanical arm attached, with a gripping hand that’s really helpful. It can be used, for example, to help a fallen elderly person get back onto a bed or a chair. But it is also capable of disinfecting surfaces, opening doors and carrying objects. And even of take a selfie.
Fit with two pinches: Fitrus Light
This gadget isn’t so much strange to use as it is to size. In fact, when we approached the Fitrus Light stand we thought they were presenting one big USB stick. We never expected it to be a small medical center that you hold with two fingers.
Metal plates to be held with the thumb and forefinger of both hands send an imperceptible shock through your body, to analyze its composition. Body mass indexes, fat or water percentage. As some scales do through your feet. And next to it you find a small sensor that measures heart rate and stress (we had just started our tour of the stands, so it was still very low!).
Lots of medical and health information in seconds, directly on your smartphone. Instead of making you undress and sit on the couch, in the future the doctor will only ask you to give a couple of pinches.
Withings U-Scan: toilet urine analyzer
We mentioned it at CES Unveiled, we discussed it on social media. But the new U-Scan di Withings deserves a chapter of its own: it convinced all of Las Vegas to talk about urine during CES 2023.
Withings has accustomed us to health gadgets of all kinds, from feature-packed watches to smart scales. But the new U-Scan is the first urine analyzer that you can easily install at home (the Withings team explained that it’s as easy as saying “One, two, pee”).
Once connected to your toilet, it will recognize urine and other liquids, carry out chemical tests and evaluate your health via optical modules. And with the Stream ID technology it also identifies the strength and speed of your jet.
In this way, Withings can give you tips to improve your health, starting with water intake. This product is not just a concept: it should arrive in Italy in a few months.
These are the strangest and most original gadgets we found wandering around the stands at CES 2023 in Las Vegas: which product would you like to try? Let us know in the comments.