The WEIRDEST Tech at CES 2024
TLDRCES 2024 showcased a variety of innovative technologies, including the R1 device by AI startup rabbit, promising advanced voice assistance capabilities. Automakers like Hyundai and Honda introduced hydrogen fuel and concept EVs, while LG designed a futuristic car with a built-in fridge. Samsung's Bali robot received a makeover, and pet-focused tech like the Oro dog companion and Zoo gears' musical device for dogs made waves. Additionally, a Swiss startup's AI cat door and a Japanese company's AI-generated music for dogs with separation anxiety were among the highlights.
Takeaways
- 🚀 **R1 Device Launch**: Startup Rabbit introduced the R1, a $200 AI device co-designed with teenage engineers, aiming to enhance the capabilities of voice assistants like Google Assistant.
- 🤖 **AI Training**: The R1's AI model was trained by humans using popular apps, enabling it to recognize and interact with various UI elements, and it can be further trained by users for specific tasks.
- 🎯 **AI's Practical Application**: R1 demonstrated its ability to remove watermarks from Photoshop images after a brief training session, showcasing its potential for practical applications.
- 💡 **Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough**: Hyundai announced plans to make hydrogen fuel from plastic and sewage, aiming to revive the interest in hydrogen as a sustainable energy source.
- 🚗 **Concept Cars and Future Tech**: Automakers showcased futuristic concepts, including LG's autonomous car with a built-in fridge and Honda's zero series EVs, focusing on design and innovation rather than traditional promotion.
- 🤖 **Bali Robot Update**: Samsung's Bali robot, a ball on wheels that patrols homes, received a new look and may be released this year, offering features like entertainment for pets and home monitoring.
- 🐶 **Oro Dog Companion**: The Oro dog companion is a smartbot designed as a pet nanny, with features like automatic feeding, treat dispensing, and two-way audio/video communication.
- 🎹 **Musical Canines**: Zoo gears' device allows dogs to 'play' music by pressing light-up buttons, with an upcoming feeder attachment to reward them automatically for their performances.
- 🎵 **AI-Generated Music for Dogs**: Japanese startup One by One Music developed AI-generated music aimed at reducing separation anxiety in dogs, offering a solution for pets left alone as humans return to the workplace.
- 🐱 **Smart Cat Door**: Flappy's AI-powered cat door locks automatically if a cat tries to bring in prey, using a unique dataset to assess the items in a cat's mouth.
Q & A
What is the R1 device announced at CES 2024?
-The R1 is a $200 device introduced by startup rabbit that aims to improve upon the capabilities of voice assistants like Google Assistant. It is powered by a large action model and can perform tasks on computer applications as if it was a human, learning from popular apps and user training.
How does the R1 device's training mode work?
-The training mode allows users to teach the R1 device specific tasks by walking it through the steps of a process. For example, users could train the R1 to remove watermarks from a Photoshop image, after which the device will be able to perform this task automatically.
What was the reaction to the R1 device at CES 2024?
-The R1 device received a lot of attention at CES 2024 and appealed to AI enthusiasts. Despite skepticism about its capabilities, the company sold out two batches of 10,000 unit pre-orders in just 2 days.
What is Hyundai's approach to promoting hydrogen as a fuel source?
-Hyundai announced plans to make hydrogen cool again by creating infrastructure for a hydrogen society. They aim to produce hydrogen gas from plastic and sewage, using a microorganism to digest sewage and create biogas, which can then be upgraded to hydrogen.
How does LG envision the future of autonomous vehicles?
-LG showcased a concept car designed to illustrate their vision of the future. The car includes a fridge in the front of the cabin to pick up groceries and can transform its steering wheel to give the driver a sense of control, even though the car is autonomous.
What new features does the updated Balli robot have?
-The updated Balli robot has a new look and may be released in the current year. It is a ball on three wheels that patrols homes and sends updates to users. It can entertain pets, welcome users home with a projector, and perform other tasks similar to LG's Q9 robot.
What is the Oro dog companion designed for?
-The Oro dog companion is a smartbot designed as a pet nanny. It connects to an automatic pet feeder to dispense meals and treats and includes a ball thrower for playing fetch. It also features two-way audio and a video screen for communication between the pet and its owner.
How does the Butter device work?
-The Butter device consists of four light-up buttons that can be trained to respond to a dog's actions, essentially turning the dog into a personal pianist. It can also be paired with an upcoming feeder attachment to reward the dog automatically.
What problem does the AI-generated music from One by One Music address?
-One by One Music's AI-generated music is designed to help dogs suffering from separation anxiety. The company claims that their music can reduce a dog's stress by 84% when played while the owner is away.
How does the Flappy AI-powered cat door function?
-The Flappy AI-powered cat door locks automatically if a cat tries to bring in prey like a mouse. The startup claims that their system is correct more than 90% of the time, using a data set of videos featuring different cats in various conditions.
Outlines
🤖 AI Startup Revolutionizes Voice Assistants with R1 Device
The first paragraph discusses the emergence of a new AI startup that has taken CES by storm with the announcement of the R1, a $200 device challenging the status quo of voice assistants. The R1, co-designed with teenage engineering, is powered by a large action model and can perform tasks on computer applications as if it was a human with a soul. The device is capable of learning from human training, such as identifying common UI elements or performing specific tasks like removing watermarks from Photoshop images. Despite the quirky demonstration of teaching the AI to steal content, the R1 has garnered significant attention, selling out two batches of 10,000 unit pre-orders in just 2 days. The paragraph also touches on automakers' presence at CES, with Hyundai aiming to make hydrogen cool again by creating fuel from plastic and sewage, and LG showcasing a concept car with futuristic features like an automatic fridge for grocery pickup.
🎵 AI-Generated Music for Dogs and Other Pet-Related Tech Innovations
The second paragraph delves into various tech innovations centered around pets, starting with a Japanese startup that uses AI to create music for dogs suffering from separation anxiety. The company claims that their AI-generated music can reduce a dog's stress by 84%. For cat lovers, a Swiss startup has developed an AI-powered cat door that locks automatically if a cat tries to bring in prey. The technology uses a unique dataset to accurately assess whether a cat has caught something. The paragraph also mentions a device that turns dogs into personal pianists, a smartbot designed as a pet nanny, and an AI-powered binoculars that identify bird species.
💅 Innovations in Personal Care and Emergency Response
The third paragraph highlights personal care and emergency response technologies showcased at CES. It begins with a smart shower system that offers a multi-sensory experience, controlling lighting, sound, water temperature, and flow. The system is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Another innovation is a high-tech toilet seat with UV self-cleaning, motion-activated opening and closing, and voice control. The paragraph also introduces binoculars with AI capabilities for identifying bird species, and gloves that capture bird motion. Additionally, it mentions a device that provides manicures in less than 25 minutes and a CPR dummy named Adam X, designed with human-like skeletal and anatomical features to simulate various medical scenarios.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡CES
💡AI
💡R1
💡Hyundai
💡LG
💡Bali
💡Oro dog companion
💡Buttermhm
💡Flappy
💡One by one music
Highlights
AI startup Rabbit introduced the R1, a $200 device aiming to enhance the capabilities of voice assistants.
The R1 is powered by a large action model, trained by humans using popular apps to understand user interfaces.
Users can teach the R1 specific tasks, such as removing watermarks from Photoshop images.
The R1 sold out two 10,000 unit pre-order batches in just 2 days, showing significant market interest.
Hyundai announced plans to make hydrogen cool again by creating infrastructure for a hydrogen society.
The South Korean company claims it can produce hydrogen gas from plastic and sewage.
Honda promoted their upcoming zero series of EVs with concept cars, hinting at the first model's design.
LG designed a car with a fridge to pick up groceries autonomously, showcasing their vision of the future.
Samsung's Balli robot, a patrol bot for homes, got a new look and may be released this year.
The Oro dog companion is a smartbot designed as a pet nanny, with features like treat dispensing and two-way audio.
Zoo gears' device, the butter mhm, trains dogs to play music on light-up buttons, with an upcoming feeder attachment.
One by One Music uses AI to create music for dogs with separation anxiety, aiming to reduce their stress.
Flappy, a Swiss startup, showcased an AI-powered cat door that locks if a cat tries to bring in prey.
SE Sonic sponsored the CES coverage, highlighting their energy-efficient and silent power supplies.
Coler debuted smart shower technology with multi-sensory experiences and voice control integration.
The Pure Wash E930 Beday toilet seat offers features like UV self-cleaning and motion-activated opening.
Swarovski Optik's AX VIO binoculars use AI to identify over 9,000 species of birds and wildlife.
Palm's motion capturing gloves have a minimalist design for therapeutic and gaming purposes.
The Nimble device provides manicures in less than 25 minutes with Machine Vision and a robotic arm.
Medical X's Adam X CPR dummy has advanced features like breathing, pupil dilation, and blood simulation.
