The most exciting event in the field of electronics which wrapped recently had on display plenty of new technology that could any satiate gadget geeks’ thirst for all things electronic. Chandragupta Amritkar reports from CES, Las Vegas.
CES 2016 had all the excitement that we have witnessed year after year over the last consecutive 10 years – futuristic gadgets, new tech startups, innovations and much more. This year spread across more than 2.4 million net square feet of exhibits – the largest show floor in CES history were 3,600 + companies exhibiting their products to over 170,000 industry professionals.
CES 2016 saw numerous gadgets ranging from wearables, drones, smart watches, health & wellness, augmented reality, gaming and virtual reality, unmanned systems (drones), vehicle intelligence, driverless cars, 3D printers, OLEDs etc. We present eight interesting and innovative gadgets
A drone to fly humans
The Chinese UAV company EHang unveiled the EHang 184 – a human-sized drone that will be able to carry one passenger for 23 minutes at a speed of 100km/h at a max flight height of 11,000 feet. It’s the first fully electric autonomous aerial vehicle capable of carrying one passenger. As per the company EHang 184 has done 100 successful, manned test flights. EHang 184 – which was named for 1 passenger, 8 propellers, and 4 arms – stands 5 feet tall and weighs 200kgs. Multiple sets of sensors provide the drone with constant stream of real-time data. As it takes off and lands vertically there is no need for runways and as the arms fold up its easy to park the drone in any car parking space. It also has 4G Wi-Fi Internet thus you will not miss your whatsApp messages. Available by end 2016 it can set you back by around $200,000 – $300,000 (1.3 crore – 2 crore).
Volkswagens e-vehicle
While the Delhi government tried the odd-even rule for vehicles, most of India is struggling with pollution issues and emissions laws. The solution is electric vehicles but then its not easy to charge. All that will change in 2019 when Volkswagen will launch its BUDD-e new concept microbus based on the brand’s new MEB (modular electric drive kit) platform for electric vehicles and will have only a 15-minute charging time.
As per the company Budd-e has two electric motors, one at the front and another at the rear with an all-electric range of 233 miles on a single charge. Volkswagen describes it as a mobile home as the car can connect to your home as part of the ‘Internet of things’. One can control homely things like lights, television, fridge, oven etc. from inside the car using touch and gesture control.
Huawei Mate 8 phablet
AT CES Huawei did the global launch for the Mate 8 phablet that is based on the Android Marshmallow update. With a 6-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display Huawei Mate 8 comes in two configurations – 3GB RAM and 32GB storage or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. While it has a new Sony IMX298 BSI CMOS sensor, which offers 16MP resolution camera its the battery size that caught our attention – 4,000mAh. The company claims it can last 2.65 days for the average user and 1.65 days for heavy users. Also after just 30 minutes of charging one can use it for a full day.
Price – €599 (Rs.45,000/-) – 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM
Price – €699 (Rs.52,000/-) – 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM
Typhoon H hexacopter
The Yuneec Typhoon H hexacopter drone uses Intel’s RealSense camera to automatically avoid collisions in its path with ultrasonic proximity detection that lets the drone sense what is happening around it. Made from carbon fibre, the 1.8-kg drone has six arms with props and the arms fold down from the flight position when not in use. The best part is that it frees up the camera with retractable landing gear thus providing an unobstructed view for the 360º gimbal camera.
The Typhoon H will cost $1,799 (1,05,000/-).
Augmented Reality Varia Vision
Many VR and AR devices have taken design inspiration from Google Glass and Varia Vision, an in-sight display is no exception. Launched by Garmin International, Varia Vision is ideal for cycling enthusiasts. When mounted it attaches to cyclists’ sunglasses displaying key data and can pair wirelessly with Garmin’s Edge 100 and 520 bike computers to deliver information. When paired with Varia rearview radar system Varia Vision warns users of traffic approaching from behind – without having to look back. It’s also weatherproof and features an integrated ambient light sensor and colour display. It has an eight hours battery life. The best part is its just 29.7 grams. It will be priced at $400.
LGs OLED TV – 77-inch G6
LGs top-of-the-line OLED TV – 77-inch G6 OLED with a screen that’s just 2.57mm thick received 2016 CES Best of Innovations Award. OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is a display technology containing thin flexible sheets of an organic electroluminescent material, used for visual displays. As OLEDs emit light, they consume significantly less power. LGs line of 4K HDR-enabled OLED TVs consisted of eight new models in flat and curved configurations with 4K Ultra HD resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) capability.
The G6 and E6 series are the first TVs to display on slim glass panel. This unique Picture-On-Glass design is only possible with OLED technology and is ultra-thin with a translucent glass back and powerful, forward-facing sound bar speaker system.
A smart helmet for industrial environments
The DAQRI Smart Helmet (DSH) is the device of the future for industrial work as it for the first time establishes an augmented reality for a worker. Powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core m7 processor and Intel’s RealSense technology the user can look inside objects in real time and solve problems quickly. It utilizes multiple cameras: high-resolution, low-resolution and infrared. The 13MP HD Camera is for photo and video capture. Its 4D Augmented Reality displays offer an industry-leading field of view.
It has X-ray vision, thermal vision and infrared sensors. The DSH has two USB 2.0 expansion ports for adding other sensors or accessories. The company claims that DSH has five times the processing power and improved depth sensing capability, making it the most powerful Augmented Reality wearable device on the market. It will be available by this year end.
A 100-megapixel camera
A 100-megapixel full-frame medium format camera was launched by Phase One in conjunction with Sony. Called the XF 100MP Camera System it features a 100-megapixel CMOS sensor which measures 53.7 x 40.4 mm and allows exposure times ranging from 1/4000th of a second to 60 minute exposures.
It also has true 16-bit color, a 15-Stop Dynamic Range and ISO range of 50 to 12,800. It will be priced at US$48,990 (Rs.3.3 lakh).
