LG, Samsung, Ultrahome and More Smart Home News From CES

From LG’s home robot designed as a “moving” smart home hub to Samsung’s smart home updates and Ultrahuman’s sensor to enhance home environment health, here are some of the smart home technologies that were on display at CES 2024.

LG’s 'Zero Labor Home' Robot

LG Electronics (LG) debuted its smart home robot at CES 2024, designed to create a “zero labor home.” 

Described as a “moving” smart home hub, the wheeled robot connects to and controls smart home appliances and household IoT devices, turning these off or on depending on environmental data collected, such as temperature and humidity.

The robot is also intended as a companion to users and LG’s design features voice and image recognition along with natural language processing to enable greater ease of communication.

According to the company, the AI agent can even act as a pet monitor and security guard, “providing users with the ability to see and care for their pets remotely and sending alerts if any unusual activity is detected.”

Samsung’s Smart Home Tech

Samsung unveiled a series of smart home technologies at this year’s CES, including a TV-centered smart home experience, a digital map of a consumer’s home that pinpoints connected devices and a QR code service that allows smart home devices to be shared from user to guest.

Related:Samsung, Segway, Doosan Robotics and More Robotics News from CES

The company said the updates have a greater focus on customization and whole-home monitoring that represents the “future of connected living.”

The “TV-centered smart home experience” allows users to monitor and manage all connected smart home devices from their TVs, turning the television into a smart home hub.

The MapView feature creates a digital map of the home and the smart devices within it to allow homeowners more holistic control of their home environments, offering real-time monitoring of cameras, temperature, remaining laundry time and other essential data.

Finally, Samsung’s QR Code News is a tool to share smart home devices and routines with guests by scanning a QR code.

Ultrahuman’s Smart Home Sensor

Ultrahuman, a wearable tech developer, has made its foray into the smart home market with a new device to help individuals track and enhance the health of their living spaces.

The Ultrahuman Home device is designed to monitor external conditions in the home that may be impacting residents, including exposure to artificial light, air quality, humidity and noise levels.

It also identifies disturbances during sleep, including sleep apnoea and snoring, as well as blue light exposure and even comes with a smoke sensor to protect against potential fire hazards and respiratory issues.

Data obtained is then correlated with an individual’s lifestyle, including their sleep and stress levels, and users are offered recommendations to optimize their health within the home, in what the company said is a first for the smart home space.

Ultrahuman Home is slated to reach commercialization by the end of this year.

Kara Pure’s Self-Filling Coffee Maker

Kara Pure debuted its self-filling coffee maker at this year’s CES, the Kara Pod. 

The design uses “water-from-air” technology, eliminating the need for users to have to refill their coffee pots ever again.

Kara Pod is the next iteration of the company’s Kara Pure air-to-water cooler, which won the 2023 CES Best Innovation Award.

The coffee maker version can reportedly generate 18 cups of coffee per day and makes hot or cold water on demand.

“We always wanted a countertop model for Kara’s air-to-water technology,” said Cody Soodeen, Kara Pure’s CEO. “But even more was a self-filling coffee maker.  That’s the prize for us.  Every Kara Pod purchase comes with 12 coffee pods as well.”

Matter’s Laundry Microplastic Filter Tech 

Matter unveiled its new microplastic filter technology for washing machines for the first time in the U.S. at CES.

Matter said the technology reduces microplastic pollution released by domestic laundry appliances into waterways, filtering these harmful particles out of domestic and commercial washing loads.

The filtration device, Gulp, can be retrofitted into washing machines, is compatible with any detergent and does not require replacement filters or other parts. 

The filtered microfibres caught by Gulp, a substance that is like the lint from a tumble dryer, can then be returned for recycling.  

“Our mission is to capture microplastics before they reach the world’s waterways, and in doing so create a circular economy from the captured material,” said Adam Root, Matter’s CEO. “We have a sustainable, scalable piece of technology that empowers people to become part of the solution and make a real difference.”

Gulp launches in Europe in 2024, with a North American model planned to follow.

The company’s tech has already received investment from S2G Ventures, Leonardo DiCaprio-backed consumer climate tech fund Regeneration.VC and Katapult Ocean, among others. 

Leafi’s Motorized Smart Blinds

Leafi Home debuted its smart blind technology at CES 2024, designed to motorize existing blinds and “round out” a smart home ecosystem.

The device, Nova, can be retrofitted onto existing blinds and is fully programmable and controlled via an app or by voice control with Amazon Alexa or Google Home.   

“We experienced firsthand the gap in the market,” said Will Wang, Leafi’s CEO, “When we went looking for a sleek, retrofit device to remotely control the blinds of our then newborn’s nursery, we found none.”  

The company said the remote-controlled device is also ideal for individuals with accessibility challenges, seniors, or even to mimic live activity while homeowners are away for enhanced home security.

Nova was also engineered with futureproofing in mind to ensure seamless integration with upcoming updates and advancements such as Matter compatibility and solar charging, with a target release of the third quarter of this year.