CES 2022: Robot waiters and color-changing cars are new at the tech fair

One of the biggest technology fairs in the world, CES 2022 is being held in Las Vegas, USA, this week.

The pandemic and fears about the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus caused the number of participants to dwindle and some of the biggest companies in the field – including Meta (formerly Facebook), Google and Amazon – were left out.

Even so, the event still has many exciting, strange or curious technological news.

See some of the news that most attracted attention at the exhibition so far.

Where’s the remote?

TVs have always been a big attraction at CES — with an emphasis on the big ones, as each year they seem to gain more inches.

This year it was a much smaller accessory — the TV remote — that took center stage.

In 2021, Samsung added a solar panel to the back of its remote to eliminate the need for batteries.

Its new version also has a small antenna that can pick up radiofrequency signals emitted by wifi routers at a distance of up to 40 meters, allowing the device to be charged even when there is no sun.

Samsung said the device will be included in new TVs and other home appliances, though it didn’t give much detail on the technical specifications.

chameleon car

If you’ve ever been bored with the color of your car, you might like the BMW idea — the ability to change it at the touch of a button.

The company showed off a car with a body that, when charged with a small electrical current, changes color or creates a pattern.

Its “iX Flow” technology is similar to the technology of Kindle and other ebook readers and covers the car with millions of tiny microcapsules.

The project is currently in the conceptual phase, but the idea is not just to be a matter of appearance, but also of efficiency. The car would change to a light color in hot weather, for example, and a darker color when it’s cold — reducing the amount of cooling and heating needed inside the vehicle, the company says.

Critics have pointed out that the system appears to be temperature sensitive and that for now only three colors are available: white, black and grey.

waiter robots

Previous editions of CES used to have dozens of human-looking robots, ranging from cute to creepy and bizarre. While some of them have yet to be brought to the show this year, it looks like 2022 could usher in an era of more practical robots.

Bear Robotics’ Servi one was one of the highlights. He floated into one of the stands with hamburgers and sushi on trays, taking the place of human waiters.

A search robot was also displayed. Labrador Systems introduced the Retriever robot, which was designed to help people with reduced mobility, according to the company’s Chief Executive Mike Dooley.

The wheeled robot moves using sensors and users communicate with it via voice control or an app. It can load up to 11 kg and reach different heights.

The robot is in the testing phase, with the aim of going into production in 2023.

‘Magic’ Mirrors

CES has also become an exhibition space for cutting-edge technology in the cosmetics industry.

In 2022 Icon.AI’s Sound Mirror won an innovation award. It looks like a conventional mirror, but hides a voice-activated smart speaker that can play music, let you check the weather, set alarms, or control other smart devices.

Meanwhile, L’Oreal has unveiled a homemade hair dye device and Ninu has launched a smart device that can create a personalized perfume fragrance when connected to a smartphone app.

Their high-tech perfume bottles may be able to deliver a hundred different fragrances depending on the wearer’s mood, weather or occasion. The brand should start delivering the first copies in June.

And the Y-Brush, an unusual jaw-shaped electric toothbrush that claims to brush your teeth in just ten seconds and which debuted at CES in 2017, has returned this year with an improved design. This includes an easier-to-hold handle and more functions like teeth whitening and gum care.

Virtual CES

With the coronavirus still posing a threat to real-life events, some companies have opted for entirely virtual presentations, while others have tried to combine their physical presence with that in the “metaverse”—a digital world that some believe will be a space to work, learn and play in the future.

Samsung offered a “metaverse booth” that allowed users to try out some of its products while decorating their own home.

Procter and Gamble also opted for a “metaverse” experience. In partnership with London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, users can stroll through the botanical garden’s virtual terrain and learn about the company’s ingredients and sustainability initiatives – as well as chat with representatives from brands such as Gillette and Oral-B.

And South Korea-based SK Group offered visitors a 360-degree video presentation blending the physical and digital at its Green Forest Pavilion, which showcased its global carbon reduction plans.