The Most Buzzworthy and Futuristic Tech at CES 2024

CES 2024 has come to an end, and we've seen hundreds of shiny new gadgets as well as plenty of fresh ideas that deserve attention. AI was of course the big theme this year, and we can now see how companies intend to use it to enable new experiences and motivate people to upgrade their devices. Automotive tech has become a huge part of CES over the past few years, and that isn't just limited to cars - boats, bikes, trucks, robots, components, and infrastructure are all changing in ways that overlap with the tech industry.

In addition to offbeat tech like an indoor meat smoker, smart toilets, interactive toothbrushes, home robots, and gaming cushions, plus of course all the usual fitness wearables and giant TVs, the show allows plenty of interesting concepts and experiments to get attention from the industry, media, and public. Here are some of the products and concepts that grabbed our attention the most, and make us excited for what's to come in 2024.

Hyundai Supernal S-A2 eVTOL air taxi

Supernal, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, has been working on a holistic approach to intra-city air travel involving not just aircraft but also infrastructure such as takeoff and landing pads, frameworks for operating safely, and government regulations. As the company prepares to commercialise its plans in 2028, it is emphasising safety, sustainability and design. The S-A2 can take off and land vertically, using its eight tilting rotors and can seat four passengers plus a pilot. Supernal promises low noise, to avoid disturbing people in the vehicle’s flight path, plus a comfortable ride for passengers. The S-A2’s top speed is 193kmph and its range is up to 64km. If all goes well, the S-A2 or future aircraft based on it could become common as privately owned vehicles or air taxis in major US cities within a decade.

Rabbit R1 AI assistant

One of the biggest surprise hits of CES 2024 was the R1, from previously-unknown startup Rabbit. This little orange square wants to take AI interactions out of your smartphone. It has a tiny screen, a physical jog wheel, a rotating camera, a microphone and a speaker. You can press a button to engage its voice assistant and ask it for information or to carry out commands. It has its own SoC, memory, storage and OS, but how it fundamentally works is by performing actions in virtual versions of apps as if you were using them yourself, rather than hooking into a set of APIs and just issuing commands. The company says users can train the Rabbit AI to learn new apps and workflows. 

Rabbit hasn’t shown a lot of this actually in action, and it isn’t clear how or when it would make more sense to pull this device out to get something done rather than just pulling out your phone. Still, the R1 is priced at only $199 (approximately Rs. 16,500) and the first run of 10,000 pre-orders have all been booked.

The Rabbit R1 uses a "large action model" to learn how to carry out your commands. (Image credit: Rabbit)

Celestron Origin telescope and Swarovski Optik AX Visio

Celestron is a known name in astronomy circles, and its new Origin “intelligent home observatory” aims to help anyone find and capture images of celestial objects easily. Using its app and AI algorithms, the telescope can orient itself and keep itself calibrated as the earth rotates. You can broadcast a live feed and capture photos through its “observatory-grade” optics and Sony IMX178 sensor. AI can stack and process multiple exposures for low noise and crisp images, or you can process RAW image data yourself. Of course you can also use it to look at and record distant objects right here on earth as well. It’s priced at $3,999 (approximately Rs. 3,31,430).

Meanwhile, Swarovski Optik, a manufacturer of high-end optical instruments, unveiled what it’s calling the world’s first smart binoculars. With a third lens for capturing photos and vidoes, plus Internet connectivity, this pair of binoculars can connect to a variety of databases to identify birds, mammals, and butterflies as you come across them, just by tapping a button. An onboard “neural processing unit” enables object recognition, and you can share discoveries and point other people to what you’ve found, or livestream your observations. The company says it envisions software updates adding new capabilities over time, including third-party add-ons. Optically, you get 10X magnification. The camera has a 13-megapixel resolution, and battery life is rated at 2-15 hours depending on how you use the device. It will sell starting at EUR 4,600 (approximately Rs. 4,17,300 before taxes).

Transparent TVs from Samsung and LG

LG and Samsung both displayed transparent TVs, based on OLED and microLED technology respectively. LG’s panel was a prototype at CES last year, but now the new 77-inch Signature OLED T looks like it could be a commercial product. There’s no price on it yet, but it’s able to turn from opaque to transparent with the press of a button. It’s also almost completely wireless, receiving video signals from an external box that can be stashed out of sight. Samsung’s microLED technology is modular, so panels of can be combined to create displays of different sizes. This solution could be more suitable for commercial spaces. 

These TVs could totally change ideas of interior design and space utilisation, since they don’t necessarily block anything when not in use, and could even be placed in front of windows. Neither company has announced prices or availability.

Cars and concepts with AI capabilities 

AI will be a big part of the automotive experience over the next few years, judging by carmakers’ exhibits at CES 2024. Volkswagen announced plans to bring ChatGPT conversational AI to its cars this year, letting drivers and passengers converse with a voice assistant to get directions and information about where they’re driving to, as well as use in-car entertainment and environmental controls. 

Mercedes-Benz showed off its upcoming MB.OS car operating system that promises a “human-like interface” that can respond to conversational voice prompts and generate music that reacts to your driving style and current road conditions. Honda wants to use AI in its upcoming 0 series cars to make proactive suggestions to drivers based on their habits and routines.  

Intel, Qualcomm, AMD and Nvidia are competing to power automotive systems including their emerging AI features. Over the coming years, we’ll see a lot of talk about the concept of “software-defined vehicles”, which is a way of describing the architecture of cars which function like PCs, with multiple interconnected subsystems and an OS that ties them together and gives developers the ability to add and change capabilities.

Versions with Lightning and USB Type-C are currently available for different iPhone models. (Image credit: Clicks.tech)

Clicks case for iPhones

If you’re still upset about the death of Blackberry and similar QWERTY-keyboard smartphones, there’s now the new Clicks keyboard case for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. Like many accessory makers have tried before, this is an add-on keyboard, but it has been implemented as a silicone case that your iPhone just slips into. The keyboard keys promise tactile feedback for typing plus backlighting and loads of shortcuts, similar to macOS. You also free up a lot of screen space, where the on-screen keyboard would have been. However, the case does make your phone a lot taller, which means it won’t easily fit in most pockets anymore, and it will be top-heavy when typing with two thumbs. Each iPhone model also needs its own form-fitting case so it’s likely this accessory won’t fit your next upgrade. Still, if you’re looking for a throwback or think your productivity will get a boost, you might find the $139 starting price (approximately Rs. 11,520) worth it.

Bigger, faster, brighter monitors

If you’re into high refresh rates, you can now get up to 520Hz on the 27-inch 1080p ASRock Phantom Gaming PG27FFX2A. It has an IPS panel and works with the FreeSync Premium as well as DisplayHDR 400 standards. LG’s UltraGear 32GS95U lets you switch between full-HD at 480Hz and 4K at 240Hz with the press of a button, which should help adapt to different types of games that benefit from either higher resolution or refresh rate. 

Dell’s Ultrasharp U4025QW is aimed more at productivity – its curved 39.7-inch ultrawide panel has a 5120x2160 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also certified for low eye strain. Samsung is pushing the limits of its QD-OLED panel type with the new 32-inch Odyssey G8, with a 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. It’s a gaming monitor, but its slick design makes a good fit for professional settings too. It’s equipped with Samsung’s Multi Control feature for data sharing between connected devices, SmartThings IoT control, and also let you use video streaming apps and cloud gaming services just like on a smart TV, without any external devices.    

On a different note, the Asus ZenScreen Fold OLED is a 17.3-inch folding display aimed at those who need productivity on the move. When folded, the panel is protected and easy to stash in a backpack. It should be usable in a variety of positions and will be less expensive than a folding laptop, giving you the best of both worlds. 

Tech for accessibility

Whissp is an AI-enabled “smart speech amplifier” that can help people with speech impairments or injuries speak in their natural voices, in real time. It also works for people who need to conduct private conversations in public spaces. Using a smartphone and wireless earphones or a speaker, users can make themselves heard.

Mouthpad is a tongue-powered controller for your digital devices. It can be worn just like a dental retainer or bite guard, and communicates with laptops, smartphones and other devices using Bluetooth. You can talk while wearing it, but have to take it out to eat. This could be a huge help to anyone with paralysis or limited mobility. Units have to be custom-3D printed for each individual user based on dental impressions.

DoublePoint is a software solution for Android smartwatches that can turn gestures and motion into commands. You can control a mouse cursor on a device, or directly send control apps and devices. You could use taps and waves to control playback in Netflix, for example, or trigger lights and other appliances in your smart home. It has uses for people with mobility impairments, but could also be used along with eye tracking in VR environments.