CES is finally over. After four days, tens of thousands of steps, and visits to multiple locations scattered around the Las Vegas strip — it’s time to decompress and dish out the last batch of interesting tech I spotted along the way.
There’s a few extra things folded into this write up, as it was impossible to fit it all in during the week. As I’ve mentioned, CES is massive so two rules will always hold true. You won’t be able to see absolutely everything, and you probably won’t have the time to talk about everything you do manage to see.
Boston Dynamics’ latest effort may build your next car
Boston Dynamics is arguably best known for building the real live version of that robot dog from the Black Mirror episode “Metalhead.” However, the Massachusetts-based company does a lot more than producing (peaceful versions) of dystopian four-legged death hounds.
It also produces Atlas, which is a 6’ tall, 200lb, humanoid robot. Despite its bulk, Atlas isn’t here to overthrow humanity. Instead it’s going to menial (and potentially dangerous) labor in various factories and other industrial settings. Boston Dynamics has already developed a partnership with Hyundai, which will see the bots take jobs at the Korean firm’s US-based factories.
A demonstration of Atlas’ capabilities ran in Hyundai’s booth throughout the show, with some attendees lining up for an hour or more to see it. During the demo, the bot moved vehicle roof components from a container to a shelf. Atlas can apparently replace its own batteries once the charge is depleted too, so expect to see the bots running 24/7 in a factory near you soon.
I spotted a Longbow in the wild
I’ve been trying to get within touching distance of a Longbow for a while now. I finally achieved that goal during CES. For those who are unaware, the Longbow is a good looking, sporty, EV with a very impressive spec sheet and a price tag that makes you think the British creators don’t quite know how expensive things are in the U.S. It also has that “designed and built by a few blokes in a shed” vibe that all of the truly great British sports cars have.
The Longbow wasn’t actually the centerpiece of the booth it resided in. It was actually part of the Donut booth, ran by the company famous for its powerful round EV motor. The most impressive thing in that booth was a functioning solid state battery, which the more knowledgeable amongst you will know is an absolute game changer in EV terms. In addition to other benefits, it offers twice the energy density of current batteries. So manufacturers can either push for obscene ranges, or half the battery weight (which still boosts range while also ramping up efficiency and performance). Exciting times ahead.
TomTom wants to help you get around with AI
AI has further enhanced TomTom’s Orbis Maps system. The navigation firm has partnered with Amazon to add some Alexa enhancements to its already solid offering. Now AI can use context to find you the fastest route home, warn you of traffic changes, or even suggest a stop at a grocery store close to your usual route.
TomTom’s tech will be appearing in a number of vehicles going forward, and the company has just signed a major deal with Volkswagen. While an OEM still has a lot to do in terms of tuning and fitting sensors to their vehicles, outsourcing the software side to a company like TomTom likely saves a ton of expense and effort while resulting in a better end product. A number of major manufacturers are likely to go in-house with everything, but TomTom’s system is solid and if that becomes the baseline of many level two self-driving systems, I won’t be complaining.
I designed the worst F1 track ever
Amazon’s fingers seem to be in almost every CES pie these days. The online retail giant also had its own stall in the West Hall with one of the best little distractions of the entire show. There is a bit of the booth where you can design your own F1 track and then hop on a racing simulator to try it out for yourself.
A sensible person would’ve gone for a nice loop with a gradual curve at each end or something. Instead, I took everything a little too far and designed what can only be described as the sadistic outline of a deformed potato. Naturally I crashed a lot when trying to navigate it on the racing sim, and ended the game with one of the worst scores of the week. The moral of the story is, if you’re going to design an awful F1 track at least remember where you put all of the corners.
Belkin wants to protect your phone in style
Belkin may be most famous for its routers and phone accessories, but this year the company is offering something a little different. It’s partnered with “SCREEN SKINZ” to offer customized screen protectors for “most” phones. As a Pixel user, I couldn’t get mine done, but several generations of Samsung Galaxies and iPhones were covered.
How is it customized? A laser etches a logo or phrase on the screen protector that is clearly visible when the device screen is off. It’s all but invisible when the screen is on, and it’s attached to the screen protector and not the phone itself. So it’s a great but ultimately non-permanent way to customize and protect your device. You can add pretty much any phrase or word and multiple fonts are available. There are also a few sports teams to choose from, though you’ll be sad to know both the mighty Hartlepool United and indeed any other European teams are currently unavailable.
