10 IoT and AI Trends at CES 2020
IoT and AI may not be new to the Consumer Electronics Show, but the tech trends are finding growing practicality at the event.
January 13, 2020
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt31d6b0704ba96e9d/bltf154a1e6f0c99a21/63abebd3f19dc8566967cefa/GettyImages-1073333042.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Abstract science fiction or future technology background - computer-generated 3d illustration. Fractal art: diagonal inclined hall or glass room with light effects.Getty Images
Forget the show floor: Attendees were offered self-driving cars as part of their Lyft ride around Vegas. In previous years, automaton vehicles were restricted to nearby closed tracks or, worse, fancy CAD models on the big screen. During CES, Lyft users were given push notifications for when their self-driving car would be ready. The Lyft app also asked them to agree to a pop-up waiver in case of injury, just in case.
There were dozens of smart home platforms at CES, perhaps more than any other previous year. They are facing two unique problems: First, it is nearly impossible to differentiate one IoT home platform from another, especially at launch. Second, no homeowner wants to invest in multiple smart platforms. It is one of the few zero-sum games in technology, and many of the platforms exhibiting now won’t be here in 2021. The volume of smart home offerings is expanding to include pragmatic new products such as air monitoring technology from Airthings, which also can detect radon and volatile organic compounds.
You can use a fingerprint to unlock your phone, but why not your house? Lock maker Kwikset must have been asking that same question. While there are technically fingerprint-enabled locks on the market, they are rare and tend to require custom installation. The Kwikset Halo Touch smart lock is reportedly easy to install and is available at an affordable price of $249. The Halo Touch also integrates with the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers.
Apple Watch, Fitbit and other technology driving our personal measurements had only one place to go: To the dogs. At CES this year, animal tech was in full force, particularly wearables tracking your canine’s fitness, heart rate and even eating habits. Pet care is a billion-dollar industry, and it’s clear technology recognizes the value.
Billion-dollar companies like Peloton set the pace for this CES, as other startups are eager to get into the stationary vehicle/live instructor game. One notable entry, Hydrow, pairs a rowing machine with a professional rower. It uses IoT functionality and an HD screen to connect users live with a rower on rivers all across America. The device’s onboard computer regulates resistance 240 per second based on user input. It can replicate the resistance of traditional rowing machines, boats or even a weight stack. The device also offers integration Bluetooth based heart monitors. All that functionality does come at a cost. The Hydrow is currently on sale for $1700, not including a $38 monthly subscription.
Generalized anxiety is up to record levels in America, which means alternative practices like meditation are now big business. Both newcomers and legacy products were on the floor, and it was hard to go far before someone asking you to sit down on a Lay-Z-Boy and put on their forehead-grasping product. The additional layer is now we can meditate virtually with other people using connected brain-wave sensing devices at the same time, à la virtual fitness.
Infant and toddler tech has blossomed over the past decade, but the Internet of Things has taken tech co-parenting to the next level. One notable product line, 4Moms, has automatically rotating bassinets so babies can be rocked to sleep. See also IoT diapers with poop sensitivity and virtual baby monitors keeping you connected via the phone.
Food tech stays quirky at CES with monitor-laden stoves, perfect beverage chillers and culinary magic boxes. An award-winner this year, SmartyPans, is a Bluetooth skillet that tracks nutritional info on the food you put in it and uses heat sensors to figure out where the pan is too warm or cold.
Big speakers, crisp sound and ever higher-end hi-fi is a CES tradition. In recent years though, the definition of what constitutes a speaker has gradually shifted, as speakers gained voice recognition capabilities and other functionality. This year stretched those boundaries even further. At the latest CES, Kohler integrated an Amazon Alexa smart speaker into a shower head. Belkin and the French hi-fi firm Devialet announced the Soundform Elite Hi-Fi smart speaker with an integrated wireless charger. Curved-display specialist Royole launched a smart speaker with a touchscreen that wraps around its cylindrical body.
Like anxiety, sleep problems are on the rise in first-world countries. Several upstarts showed sleep technologies centered around light and sound. The visuals simulate the sun setting and rising (particularly helpful during winter months) and the audio imitates bedtime crickets, morning birds and other soothing sounds. They can communicate to your smartphone and other devices for travel on the go. Shown here is the Wi-Fi-enabled Rest+ device from Hatch, which also offers two-way audio to support monitoring children down the hall. Hatch also provides integration with Amazon Alexa.
Like anxiety, sleep problems are on the rise in first-world countries. Several upstarts showed sleep technologies centered around light and sound. The visuals simulate the sun setting and rising (particularly helpful during winter months) and the audio imitates bedtime crickets, morning birds and other soothing sounds. They can communicate to your smartphone and other devices for travel on the go. Shown here is the Wi-Fi-enabled Rest+ device from Hatch, which also offers two-way audio to support monitoring children down the hall. Hatch also provides integration with Amazon Alexa.
By Damon Brown
After several decades, the Consumer Electronics Show was starting to look long in the tooth. Technology is everywhere, so where does a general-interest tech show focus? This year, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence-branded products were everywhere. From smart baby bassinets to sensor-laden sleep headsets to a CGI-enhanced avatar that is world’s away today’s voice assistants, IoT and AI technology on display at CES hints at the future of consumer-focused products.
[IoT World is North America’s largest IoT event where strategists, technologists and implementers connect, putting IoT, AI, 5G and edge into action across industry verticals. Book your ticket now.]
Here are the top IoT and AI trends we saw on the ground.
Damon Brown www.damonbrown.net helps side hustlers, solopreneurs, and other non-traditional creatives bloom. His latest book is Bring Your Worth: Level Up Your Creative Power, Value & Service to the World https://amzn.to/307vnxa. Join his entrepreneurship conversation at JoinDamon.me.
You May Also Like