- CES 2024 in Las Vegas has already revealed some incredible new gadgets
- From flying cars to automatic AI assistants, they reveal the future of tech
If you’ve ever watched a science-fiction film from the 80s, you know that predicting the future of technology is never an easy task.
But at CES 2024, some amazing gadgets are providing a glimpse into your future life.
And, from transparent TVs and flying cars to gym leggings that zap you fit, that future is looking more like a sci-fi than ever.
With ChatGPT having exploded into our lives last year, it is no surprise that CES has seen more than its fair share of nifty AI devices.
So, whether you’re looking for a robot butler or AI personal trainer, there might be a gadget coming soon that has just what you need.
Transparent TVs
One of the most exciting developments from CES 2024 has been LG and Samsung’s announcement of fully transparent televisions.
In what they claim could be the next major breakthrough in televisions, the South Korean electronics manufacturer revealed its wireless see-through device on Monday.
At the conference in Las Vegas, the company brought out a 77-inch wireless screen.
Billed as ‘the world’s first 4k, wireless, transparent OLED TV,’ the LG Signature OLED-T is built to stand in the middle of a room and look like a clear pane of glass when it isn’t in use.
When it is turned on viewers can either choose to keep it partially see-through or turn it opaque.
‘OLED T creates a sense of openness,’ said LG’s Frank Lee.
‘The TV no longer has to dominate the room. This heightens the relationship between the TV and the space it inhabits.’
Gym leggings that shock you fit
While most gadgets are aimed at making your life more comfortable, some of the tech on display at CES 2024 seems to have the opposite goal.
While Barunbio Energywear’s workout clothes might look like average gym clothing, they are actually hiding a surprising piece of tech.
The WE-Stim (for Wearable Electric Stimulation) gear provides low-power electrical stimulation over your entire body while you train.
No batteries are required however – the clothes use the static generated by your own movements for power.
‘It enhances cell vitalization, signaling, metabolic activity, and blood flow, inducing movement of ions and molecules within cells,’ the company explained.
Robot butlers
This year’s CES has seen the launch of not one but two different robot butlers.
Both Samsung and LG have unveiled AI robot assistants that can feed your pets, schedule laundry, and remind you to take medication.
Samsung’s offering, a new version of its Ballie robot, is a round yellow robot that contains AI-powered camera hardware and a projector.
According to Samsung, it can recognize your face and greet you when you come home.
A promotional video shows how you can send the robot a text to tell it to check on the dog.
It can even project video calls, workouts, or any other work or entertainment visuals on the wall.
LG’s competing robot was also released this week which the company calls its ‘smart home agent’.
This AI assistant looks a lot more like a little animal, featuring a digital screen for a face and legs with wheels.
The robot is designed to follow you around the house carrying out little information-based chores.
It won’t be able to do laundry or wash the dishes but LG says it will be able to learn your moods and habits.
This might include prompting its owner with cheery music if they feel sad.
Virtual laptop with a 100-inch screen
While other companies have focused on making their screens bigger and better, one company has done away with them altogether.
The Spacetop, made by startup Sightful, promises users a 100-inch screen without any of the inconvenience of physical hardware.
By using augmented reality glasses, the laptop’s user can see a huge screen laid out before them as if it were floating in the air.
But, coming in at $2,150 (£1,690), the Spacetop has a lot to live up to.
And, while the laptop’s display might be innovative, the laptop itself might be held back by sub-par hardware.
The system is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip, which is the same chip Meta used back in 2020 for the Quest 2.
It also only has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, a far cry from what you could get from a normal laptop at a similar price.
An AI assistant in your pocket
A walkie-talkie style gadget is already being hailed as the ‘iPhone of artificial intelligence’.
The Rabbit r1 uses a built-in chatbot to carry out everyday tasks for its owner.
According to the company, these tasks could be anything from a simple question to booking a whole holiday.
Revealed at CES 2024 this week, the r1 has signalled the start of the race to create a device that will do for AI what the smartphone did for the internet.
What’s more, it only costs £159 – a fraction of the price of rival devices including Humane’s AI pin, which recently went on sale for £550.
The idea behind it is to stop people having to scroll through hundreds of different apps on their smartphone – and instead provide one big super app.
The gadget works by controlling all the owner’s online accounts, giving the AI access to their profiles on apps such as Uber and Deliveroo.
However, US start-up Rabbit said it would always ask for permission and clarification when carrying out any task, particularly those involving payment.
Creepy robot friend
Rounding out this year’s selection of AI assistants is the slightly bizarre human face from WeHead.
Billed as the ‘AI companion with a human face’ the company uses a set mix of screens to create a convincing face that users can speak to.
At CES 2024, MailOnline spoke with a WeHead device programmed to give a company pitch but the company says that they could be used for customer service.
However, MailOnline found that the AI frequently interrupted the user and gave confusing answers.
Flying cars
Of course, no roundup of futuristic tech would be complete without at least one flying car.
CES 2024 has seen the launch of several different flying vehicles but perhaps the most exciting is the new S-A2 from Hyundai owned Supernal.
Once it enters operation, the S-A2 will move people around a city, avoiding street traffic jams.
This electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle is seeking approval for 2026 to be one of the very first flying taxis in the US.
The vehicle seats five – a pilot and four passengers – and gets its power from eight electric rotors.
During flight, all eight rotors will pivot to face forward and allow the vehicle to fly like a plane.
Neil Marshall, Supernal’s head of manufacturing strategy told MailOnline: ‘Our aim is to get to that cost point whereby it’s affordable, the masses can use it.
‘This is not intended to just be aimed at high-net-worth or executive type usage.’
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
