It’s Day 3 of CES, and the highlights included a close up look at some cutting-edge vehicle tech, along with a hands (or more specifically legs) on test of something a bit more pedestrian.
CES itself is over halfway done, and there’s an argument that anyone with any sense has seen what they needed to and already gotten the hell out of Dodge. But that’s nonsense, we haven’t even gotten to the domestic robots yet.
The Sony AFEELA is almost ready to hit the road
The AFEELA, which is a collaboration between Sony and Honda, has been somewhat of a CES staple over the last few years. Apparently, the much-anticipated EV is finally ready to hit the road with the first units rolling out later this year — and I managed to get a hands-on demonstration with it. On the outside, there are plenty of sensors. A total of 40, to be exact, mixing RADAR, LiDAR, and standard cameras. This allows the vehicle to get a good idea of what is around it, with self-driving and safety both making up a large part of Sony and Honda’s design philosophy.
The doors are a little Rolls-Royce, opening automatically when you press a button and closing when you stamp on the brake. An Alexa-enhanced voice assistant also allows you to control various parts of the vehicle.
When you get inside, it is an odd mix of high-tech and minimalism. You have a yoke wheel, as a traditional circle may block some of the large infotainment display in front of you. And of course, in the back, you have a built-in Sony PlayStation 5. If you want to buy your own AFEELA, it’s expected to retail from $90,000 upwards.
Your self-driving car might be RADAR-powered
Ambarella isn’t a company you’re likely to deal with as a run-of-the-mill consumer, but they do make a lot of the bits that will likely end up in your vehicle. This year, they let me have a look at their latest RADAR system, which helps your vehicle paint a picture of the road ahead.
So what’s the advantage of RADAR? While it isn’t as detailed as the LiDAR systems you see in a lot of vehicles, it does have a far greater range. Being able to spot possible hazards earlier is a pretty obvious advantage, whether the car is driving itself or not.
For me, two of the biggest weaknesses with self-driving systems are the inability to spot hazards in the road itself and the reluctance to move over if a car is stopped on the shoulder. The latter of which can get you in serious trouble with the law, and the former could see your vehicle damaged. If the RADAR system spots the hazard in plenty of time, your vehicle has ample opportunity to change lanes. No emergency breaking, no violent swerving, no extremely angry Georgia State Troopers hunting you down and hitting you with every ticket they can possibly print.
An exoskeleton might be the best hiking accessory of 2026
Exoskeleton company Hypershell actually sent me one of their products out in an attempt to make my time at CES a little bit easier. The conference involves a lot of walking, and their flagship unit, the “X Ultra,” eases the burden by moving your legs as you go. You can adjust the amount of force it applies by mode and percentage, with “eco” mode providing less force than “hyper” mode.
While not everyone spends a week walking around a convention center, there are obvious applications on the trail with this one. It can give you a little extra help during a challenging trek, or if you’re in a group, slower hikers can use it to keep pace with faster members.
If you go into the app, there’s also a “fitness” mode. And this is what intrigues me the most. Fitness mode adds resistance instead of help, which can make a moderate hike more challenging. It feels a bit like wading through a viscous liquid when you have it maxed out. I haven’t technically started my New Year’s health kick, as there’s no point in trying to diet at CES. But when I get back after the conference, I’m ready to see just how fit a Hypershell can get me.
