I've seen some weird things at trade shows. We all have. Remember that spectacular Qualcomm CES keynote two years ago? It was a sight to behold (and mock).
But the weirdest stuff at trade shows like CES aren't limited to high-profile keynotes and press conferences. All throughout the Las Vegas Convention Centre are strange little gadgets and ideas, sandwiched between the iPhone cases and wearables.
In 2013, PC Mag's Alex Colon found the QuantumVet Tricorder Plus, which lets you use your cell phone, or any other device with Internet access, to instantly diagnose and medically treat your pet at home. Sounds cool, huh? Did I forget to mention it's powered by extraterrestrial technology? Yep.
How about that accordion-like keyboard from last year's CES, or the Paro therapeutic robot? Odd and odd.
The good news is, the weirdos were back for more in 2015. Check out below for some of the gadgets that made us do a double take at CES this year.
1. InMotion V3 Electric Unicycle
Segway? Too bulky. Hoverboard? Not quite ready for primetime. For something in between, how about the InMotion V3 electric unicycle? It sound like a recipe for cracking your head open, and it probably is, but there's only one way to find out! You're supposed to look like this riding this thing, but you'll probably end up closer to this. Practice makes perfect!
2. Communication Android
If you were casually strolling the CES floor and glanced at this lady, you'd probably think nothing of it. Just a woman singing tunes. But look closer; that's actually a robot serenading the crowd with "What a Wonderful World." No word on if she also steals souls.
3. Oku
"You wear a device to track your steps, sleep and heart rate. What if you had something that could track your skin health and help you develop a customized anti-aging regimen and motivate you to stay on track?" That is the premise behind Oku, a "personal skin scanning device." Hook it up to your iPhone and see how much damage that tanning bed is actually doing.
4. Skechers Game Kicks
Want to play Simon Says on your sneakers? Of course you do. Skechers put electronic games on its kids' sneakers (dubbed Game Kicks) for a new twist on wearables. They're on sale now for US$65.
5. temptraq
PC Mag's Jill Duffy was surprised to find herself so intrigued by...adhesive bandages? The TempTraq by Blue Spark Technologies is designed for infants, but it's for monitoring vitals, not fixing boo boos.If you have a sick infant and need to monitor her temperature, TempTraq can send you alerts via your smartphone and provide a table of both the current temperature and historic ones, which means you have a wealth of information, including fluctuations in temperature, to bring to a doctor if needed.
6. Fuhu Nabi Big Tab XL
If you thought the 20-Inch Panasonic Toughpad or even Fuhu's 20-inch tablet for kids was ridiculous, you ain't see nothing yet. At CES 2015, Fuhu showed off the Nabi Big Tab XL, a 65-INCH Android tablet. In fairness, Fuhu is positioning this more as an HDTV than a tablet, but when it comes down to it, it's really just a big-ass (but kind of awesome) Android tablet.
7. mamaRoo
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A modern take on those creaky little death traps we all probably spent time in as babes, the mamaRoo mimics the rocking and swaying often used to soothe infants. And of course there's an app to control the various settings and speeds. Too bad it's just for kids. I'm sure a lot of tired CES attendees would like to relax in an adult-sized version of this contraption. Pricing starts at US$239.99.
8. 3D-Printed Spider Dress
This 3D-printed Spider Dress is the brainchild of Anouk Wipprecht, a Dutch designer who joined Intel last fall to work on wearable tech projects. For CES, she came up with this, which is crowned at the collar with robotic spider legs.
9. Nymi
Passwords suck, and we suck at remembering them. But what if there was an easier way log in to your email, or even unlock your car or house? The US$149 wrist-worn Nymi band "uses the electric activity of your heat to authenticate you," according to the company. Sounds...intriguing and terrifying?
10. LG Twin Wash
This bizarre washing machine was PC Mag senior analyst Alex Colon's favourite gadget at CES. Why? LG Twin Wash is "essentially a washing machine within a washing machine," he writes. "There's space for a full-size load on top, and a smaller, pull-out drawer on the bottom allows you to wash a second load simultaneously, so that you can get through the dreaded laundry day in half the amount of time."
11. Virtuix Omni VR
The Virtuix Omni VR treadmill looks like some sort of torture device, but it actually lets gamers walk and run in their games. As PC Mag's Will Greenwald found out, it's a body cage with a large, shallow bowl of "walking" space, surrounded and supported by arms that form a waist-high ring around the user. Slip-on shoes equipped with sensors skate on the bowl's surface while a harness keeps the user centred and upright.
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