Highlights from CES 2023, from a barista robot to an AR eyebrow app
Tech companies showcased their latest products this week at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, with new developments in video, as well as lifestyle improvements with beverage and makeup gadgets.
Crowds of investors, media and engineers have flocked to Las Vegas’ cavernous venues to see the latest technology from big corporations and startups. The show runs until Sunday.
Here are some highlights:
VIDEO CALLS WITH A TWIST
Tired of the same old Zoom calls? Zero Distance thinks it may have the answer.
The company’s Wehead device helps people in a meeting feel like there’s a distant participant in the room with them.
The device looks like a machine you might find at the optometrist, but with screens on the front. From a distance, the participant looks as if they are in 3D, and if they look around or nod, the machine moves too.
Wehead works with standard computer or smartphone webcams.
“If there are a few people at the table and there is only one screen, not everyone can see the screen, and the person in the laptop cannot see everyone,” said Wehead inventor Ilia Sedoshkin. “That’s the obvious application.”
“But for people who work from home about 40 hours a week, they don’t see other people that often. So if you can feel the real person in the room and use some space on your table, you can experience less loneliness,” Sedoshkin said.
The Wehead retails for $1,555, with a Pro version available for $4,555.
A BOBA ROBOT
From milk tea to passion fruit, ADAM the robot can make any boba tea drink you like.
ADAM can also act as a bartender or barista, but this week it prepared boba tea for adoring CES attendees, who used digital touchscreens to choose their drinks.
“Basically, ADAM is meant to be a way to attract guests and prepare drinks fully automatically and very efficiently,” said Timothy Tanksley of Richtech Robotics.
The two-armed robot features two handles that can be individually adjusted to make specific drinks. While taking a break from mixing drinks, ADAM can dance to keep people entertained.
Available for hire for events or full-time, ADAM is one of a series of robots on display at CES this week that perform a variety of tasks from disinfecting surfaces to making deliveries.
NUT MILK AS REQUIRED
During the 2020 pandemic shutdown, California resident Luiz Rapacci had a hard time finding his favorite almond milk in grocery stores. He searched online for recipes to make his own, but they were messy and time-consuming.
Almost three years later, Rapacci has arrived at CES to introduce its nut milk brewing machine, the GrowUp Brewer.
With GrowUp, customers can make nut milks at home in minutes using water and their choice of variety, from cashews and walnuts to almonds and pistachios, Rapacci said.
The machine retails for $599 and is available to pre-order now.
PERFECT EYEBROWS
L’Oreal’s Brow Magic brings augmented reality to your brows.
The company’s app scans your face and uses AR to provide personalized recommendations for choosing shape, thickness and impact before applying foundation. Then the Brow Magic device offers 2,400 tiny nozzles to brush over and paint your eyebrows.
L’Oreal has partnered with Prinker to develop Brow Magic, which makes a device that can quickly apply temporary tattoos.
The make-up in Brow Magic, which is expected to be released later this year, can last up to two days and can be removed with a normal make-up remover.
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