CES 2018 Day 4: Canon, Google, Ford

Day 4 of CES is upon us, and the exciting gadgets and ideas keep coming. Canon has a concept camera that utilizes artificial intelligence on show, Google has arrived at CES to push its Google Assistant, Ford and Ojo Electrics collaborated to create a smart electric scooter, a robot from Savioke call Relay robot that acts as a concierge service and a Scrabble-playing robot from ITRI.

Canon’s prototypes at CES 2018

Canon’s concept cameras follow trends set by Samsung’s Gear 360 and Google Clips, but ups the game with the addition of new functions and combining ideas. The concept camera is small, has one lens, and the camera can move in 360 degrees. Canon’s camera wants to be able to follow faces, film objects and use AI to learn how to track and capture high-quality images as the AI evolves. An innovative feature is the addition of a Lightning port for iPhones that gives the user the ability to use their phone as a viewfinder.

Users will be able to send images from the camera to the phone at high speeds and put on to social media as soon as you want. The zoom has not been decided yet; it could be either mechanical or digital. The lens Canon intends to build into the finished product is a 100-400mm zoom lens built into the camera. The design of the concepts varied with two spherical versions, different buttons and a choice of viewfinders.

Google pushes it Assistant

Visitors to CES were hit in the face with advertising about the Google Assistant. Billboards and signs abounded and there was a three-story installation in the parking lot. The competition between Google and Amazon’s Alexa is pushing both companies to go further with their devices and digital assistants. Something Google focused on putting across to the CES crowd was Android’s ability to use multiple devices together. Google has their Pixel smartphones, Google Home speakers and assistant, Chromecast, Android smartwatches, tablets and a range of compatible peripherals. Google Assistant is still in the growth and development period with consumers learning about the devices and what ones would suit their needs. An idea might be to offer a service that asks customers their needs and gives digital device recommendations; this could help customers know what they want and help to get digital devices into more hands, on their wrists and in their home.

Ojo and Ford design a smart scooter

Ojo Electrics and Ford combined to create a smart electric scooter. There are many electric scooters out there, but this one is a step above a lot of them. The range of the battery is 25 miles with the ability to add a second battery that doubles the length you can travel. The speed of the scooter is impressive, hitting a top of 20 miles per hour. For suspension, there are systems on both wheel, cornering is done well, and the body is made of rigid aluminum with a unibody structure. For smart features, there is a dashboard with a touchscreen and music plays from your phone through speakers on the gadget via Bluetooth. The ability to plug the scooter into a regular socket is a big plus as there are no cords to bring with you. Riders can stand or sit, with Ojo and Ford planning on developing this idea into something special.

Relay robots are here to serve you

Keeping guests entertained and served is difficult in hotels or if you regularly hold gathering. The Relay robots from Savioke are a robotic concierge that does its job well. Elvis and Priscilla, as the two demo robots are called, can pick up orders from the front desk, ride elevators, call guests on their phone and use a pre-generated map is their internet connectivity fails. New additions by Sevioke include having the Relay robot find WiFi blackspots and provide a hotspot for customers, to see trays, plates, and messes before bringing this to the staff’s attention and can mingle with guests, spending time with them, telling jokes or acting as a concierge.

Play Scabble with a robot

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is developing a Scrabble-playing robot that you can challenge at CES. This robot has intelligent AI that pours you a coffee before you start playing and then shows off its immense skills at Scrabble. AI is used to read and analyze the board, look through a database and use the letters it has to make a word. Unfortunately for most people, the robot has the entire dictionary of Scrabble in its database, cannot change difficulty levels, can add up scores and is a stickler for rules. There is a combination of AI, 3D vision and hand-eye coordination that helps the robot to move and know what’s happening.

Well, that is Day 4 of CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Other exciting gadgets worth checking out is a home security speakers called Kevin and the continuing development of sleeping trackers and aids.