Innovation displayed at CES: New criteria for consumer engagement

Innovation never rests. Las Vegas’ CES Show last week showed us a lot about the future. There are talking, walking and electric robots as well as EV charging stations for holograms that can be used to charge your batteries.

CES was formerly called the Consumer Electronics Show. This year, CES saw a similar attendance to its pre-COVID 2019 with exhibits packed with people at both the Las Vegas Convention Center (and the Venetian Expo).

The exhibits were organized according to technology category such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence. Self-service technology was also present throughout the entire show floor.

Chowis Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of artificial intelligence-powered skin diagnosis solutions. It has a kiosk that can be used by clinics or retailers.

Although much of this technology is not available in self-service applications, it lends itself well to such an application.

Arht Media makes life-size holographic displays for live meetings. These can easily be used to record videos that promote retailers.

Many exhibits have self-service. Here are some trade shows highlights that include a self service application. They are listed alphabetically.

Aeolus Robotics

At the Aeolus Robotics exhibition, visitors were welcomed by the multi-tasking humanoid robot Aeo.

Aeolus Robotics, located in Taipei (Taiwan), introduced aeo. This robot is a humanoid with two arms that can do service tasks like kiosk operation, elder care, and security. It combines mobility and functionality to allow the robot to lift objects, open doors and take rides on elevators.

As a robot as-a-service, the aeo offers plug-and play attachments and integrations with third-party programmers.

To allow the aeo to perform tasks such as operating elevators or opening doors with both arms, there are seven degrees in freedom.

Vision algorithms can detect misplaced backpacks and determine the position of seniors for safety.

The aeo team is located in Japan and Hong Kong. They provide services like night guard for residents, supplies delivery to hospitals and disinfecting facilities.

Blue Frog Robotics

Maud Verraes displays Buddy the robot at Blue Frog Robotics.

Blue Frog Robotics, located in Paris, France presented Buddy, an interactive touchscreen robot that is capable of eliciting human emotions. Buddy can be used to assist, greet, entertain, educate, and inform.

Buddy uses artificial intelligence, computer visual, natural language processing, and gesture controls for multiple tasks, such as animating events or guiding customers.

You can control the robot remotely using a tablet.

An LED and Accessories Hub, a Heart LED, an LED Speaker, Ultrasonic Distance Sensors, Infrared Distance Sensors, and a Camera are some of the features.

Boxx

Lauren Smee shows a vending machine which verifies the ages of customers at Boxx.

Boxx is a startup based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It presented their contactless alcohol vending machine. Boxx uses an AI platform that verifies the age of customers through real-time facial matching and live validation. It takes just 15 seconds and the customer is able to shop the stock once they have been validated.

The scanner allows customers who are returning customers to purchase by simply looking at it.

This machine holds 500 cans of food and 25 different SKUs.

Braindog

Jaihyun Lee presents Passbot’s intelligent security system to the Braindog exhibition.

Braindog, an South Korean manufacturer based in Seoul, showcased its Passbot access control kiosk. A facial recognition camera scans the users face to match it with an ID photograph.

This machine has a pass dispenser that allows users to access the machines.

A screen allows users to interact with the system and sign consent forms for repeated use.

Sensors that measure temperature are also included in the machine.

CandyMachines.com

Molly Nation, CandyMachines.com, and Harry Kozlovsky from Nayax presented the gigantic gumball machine equipped with a credit-card reader.

CandyMachines.com is a Midvale-based division from R M Electronics Inc. that presented its gigantic electronic vending machine with 40,000 gumballs.

A mini-crane and other Nayax cranes were also on display.

Chowis Co. Ltd.

Luke Han and Shu Li show the Chowis kiosk app.

Chowis Co. Ltd. is based in South Korea and presented the AI skin diagnostic solution. This uses an optical zoom and software to give a clear view of skin and hair, and allows users to make more informed decisions about their hair and skin products. To take photographs of the skin, hair, and scalp using magnification, optical lenses utilize magnification.

Both shop owners as well as customers can use the kiosk app to provide security and ease of use. The shop owner can access a customer management function that collects and securely secures customers’ information.

Every optical device has multiple image modes that include more than 20 LEDs. This allows you to examine possible scalp or skin bacteria. It also measures the amount of moisture, sebum and oiliness as well as spots and impurities.

Chowis analyzes 16 parameters to provide an overall facial analysis, based upon actual photos.

DeepBrain AI

Joseph Murphy displays the DeepBrain AI banking kiosk.

DeepBrain AI is based in Seoul and showcased its AI human (and AI kiosk) featuring a conversational AI engine. This reduces waiting times and improves customer satisfaction by providing clear, fast responses from virtual people.

The bank has deployed the contactless system at KB Bank Korea to answer basic questions and provide banking services.

DeepBrain AI partnered closely with Kiosk Information Systems in order to display the kiosk hardware during CES.

Dobot

Dobot’s robot makes and serves beverages.

Dobot, a Shenzhen-based maker of collaborative robots in China, displayed its Nova 2 (and the Nova 5) models. These are the Nova 2 and 5 payload models for retail and physiotherapy.

Robots can make ice cream, tea, noodles and latte. Ultrasonography and massage are also possible applications.

These robots come equipped with sensors capable of detecting collisions at different levels, as well as human emotion detection and position freezing upon power cutoff.

Eastman Kodak Co.

Vanessa Acosta displays the Eastman Kodak Co.’s photobooth.

Eastman Kodak Co. is a Rochester-based company that produces instant prints. User selects their preferred print frame, adjusts the countdown timer, and then says “cheese.”

This machine has an 8MP camera and an LED ring light. It produces sticky-backed photos at 1280×800 screen resolution.

Photobooths can be personalized with different layouts, themes and filters.

Ekin

Benan Un shows the Ekin smart-city tower.

Ekin, a Turkish smart-city furniture company based in Istanbul, Turkey, has presented the Ekin Spotter modular tower that can be used for traffic management and environmental analysis.

Cameras, sensors, and an independent power source are all part of the tower. The tower can monitor large areas with high-resolution video and records them at night.

Spotter alerts a central control system to any abnormal conditions changes such as temperature and humidity rises, or door openings that are not authorized.

Ekin uses its AI-based technology to provide quantitative data that can be used for intelligent living, traffic management, and public safety categories to both state and federal officials as well as private organizations. These data enable authorities to take decisions that promote sustainable growth, increase quality of life, and protect their citizens.

Eneridge

Damon Kim shows the Tellus Power Electric Vehicle Charging Station at the Eneridge Exhibit.

Eneridge is a Santa Fe Springs-based manufacturer of EV charging stations. It presented the Flitway range from Level 2 chargers up to 360kW superfast chargers suitable for fleet and public use.

Company owns and manages charging stations. It also offers a cloud-based platform that allows clients to install their charging stations.

California Energy granted the company a grant for 2021. The battery-integrated, ultra-fast charger was demonstrated and they began to install two 150kW chargers in three locations. They either used existing electricity distribution capacity or replaced existing Level 2 chargers.

Company plans to place more than 3,000 electric vehicle chargers throughout the U.S.

EVBox

Seth van Roemburg introduces the EVBox Iqon EV charging station.

EVBox is a Dutch company that introduced the EVBox Iqon EV charger station. It features a stainless steel enclosure, LED light guides and ADA compliance.

A multilingual touchscreen is also available on the unit to show pricing and usage information.

You can be sure that the charging environment is safe with built-in overcurrent protection, and automatic locking cable docks to prevent tampering.

You can use RFID and QR codes to start charging sessions.

Operators can track the station’s usage with precision using the built-in kWh meters.

Formlabs

Brian Nies shows off the Form 3L Printer at the Formlabs Exhibit.

Formlabs, an American 3D printer manufacturer located in Somerville Massachusetts, introduced Form 3L. This large-format 3D printer features two processing units to ensure consistent accuracy across all build platforms.

This printer features an automatic setup and automatic resin dispensing, as well as a touchscreen interface that is 5.5 inches high.

Print preparation software suggests layouts, supports, and orientations automatically. You can also refine the settings manually.

You can replace the light processing units, opticals windows, and rollers as necessary.

G3D

Ed Machala shows off the 3D printer in the G3D exhibit.

G3D, located in The Philippines introduced their latest 3D printer, T-2000. This uses liquid crystal displays combined with ultraviolet light to enable the printing three-dimensional objects. This printer employs masked SLA technology.

Maximum build volume: 13.6×7.65×16 inches, or 11.57×6.8×16 inches

Maximum print speed is 1.8 inches/hour

The resolution XY, which is the smallest possible movement that a plane’s print head can make, ranges from 76.5 to 92.5 microns.

It is possible to have layers as high as 8-120 microns.

It has been used to create prototypes, medical instruments and art objects.

Harborlockers

Josh Middlebrooks displays the Harborlockers pickup lockers.

Harborlockers is a modular locker company based out of Sacramento, California. They offer drop-off, storage, and pick up services. It offers indoor and outdoor lockers with no need for power, or Internet access.

They measure 76 inches high by 37.5 inches wide and 23 inches deep, and they weigh 500 lbs.

To encourage entrepreneurs to invest in public lockers, and to build locker-based apps, markets, or any other thing to help the Harborlockers ecosystem grow.

Assa Abloy is the global provider of asset solution solutions.

Holo Industries LLC

Holo Industries booth: Glenn Imobersteg from Holo Industries, and Kazuhiro Yomoto from Asukanet display kiosks equipped with holographic plates.

Holo Industries LLC is based in Cottage Grove and has presented kiosks with holographic touch for customers and employees. Users can now access data and images, scroll, enlarge and pinch to view holographs, and order products or pay in midair.

Holographic touch is a method of midair communication that’s accurate and responsive without any special lighting, glasses or headgear. Holograms that are interactive extend beyond visual stimulation and audio stimulation to include interactive holograms. They can be interactive or responsive.

Products from the company can be integrated into countertops and wall units, or connected to CPUs for displaying holographic images.

Huenit

Sangmin Lee introduces the Huenit hand coffee drip robot.

Huenit, an South Korea-based company, showcased its hand-drip coffee machine. An AI-powered camera powers the robot to recognize and greet customers. Built-in microphones allow for voice recognition and image recognition.

You don’t need to set any buttons. It is handled by the auto-sensing technology.

It recognizes coffee beans to automatically choose a drip recipe.

The extraction method, water temperature and extraction drop all affect the flavor of coffee. You can adjust all factors in real-time and make adjustments.

Nuvilab

Yujung Lee shows off the Nuvilab exhibit’s AI food scanner.

Nuvilab is a South Korean company that presented its wall-mounted AI food scanner. It can identify different types of food and quantities by scanning in just one second. To see the calories and grams for each food item on a plate, users can scan it. You can use the device in your kitchen to find out how much waste has been left on plates.

Nuvilab’s cloud-based data analytics provides detailed information about the food waste composition and other metrics. This system helps to reduce costs, decrease carbon emissions, analyze food data, and manage personal eating habits.

Ottonomy

Jack Beokhaimook displays the Ottobot 2.0 delivery robotics robot at Ottonomy.

Ottonomy, an autonomous robot maker based in Brooklyn, New York, showed its ecosystem for managing and controlling a delivery fleet. The network operations console can connect with ERP and point of sale systems.

An order is placed at a POS terminal. After placing the order, it is prepared and loaded into the robot. After the robot has reached its destination, it communicates with customers via text or email.

For their item to be returned, they scan the QR code printed on the robot.

Behavior-based navigation technology allows for precise mapping that allows robots to navigate safely in dense environments.

Robots as a Service is available.

Pantum

Carlos Xu showing the Pantum printers.

Pantum is a Chinese company based in Guandong. It introduced the CP2100 color laser printer with single function and CM2100 color multifunction printers.

Printers have the following features:

• One-step installation.
• Fast print speed: 20ppm (A4)/21ppm (letter).
• Printer language: GDI.
• Maximum monthly duty cycle is 30,000 pages
• Paper input capacity: 250 pages.
• Paper output capacity: 100 pages.
• One page multipurpose tray

Repla

Dong-Eun Sun shows the Repla reader at the Repla show.

Repla is a South Korean company that invented the plastic reader. This plastic reader allows for efficient plastic recycling. A remote controlled device checks the purity of the flakes after the plastic object has been shredded.

This scanner can verify the plastic material of an object.

When a material is recycled by bacteria, it increases its purity.

It plans to provide plastic purity-enhancing equipment for approximately 3,000 South Korea plastic recycling plants.

Rightech Robotics

Adam, the mixologist makes a cup of coffee at Rightech Robotics.

Rightech Robotics has offices in Las Vegas, Texas and Austin, Texas. Adam can make over 100 kinds of drinks. Robotics can replicate the actions of bartenders and baristas.

The robot acts as a bartender and can create draft beer, shot, cocktails, and wine.

The robot is able to connect with IoT-enabled machines and traditional coffee makers in order to make hot, iced, or cold coffee.

The robot is able to make classic boba teas with tapioca pearls, or creative spins on traditional favorites.

Stern Pinball Inc.

Stern Pinball’s James Bond theme pinball game is a great place to get lost in.

Stern Pinball Inc. was located in Elk Grove Village and displayed its James Bond007 pinball machine featuring James Bond films from 1960s.

Limited Edition cornerstone collectible includes a full-color, full-color, mirror backglass, cabinet artwork and custom-designed pinball armor. It also features a bottom arch custom-designed by Seth Davis and Gary Stern.

Stern’s Intner Connected System allows users to connect with their game as well as a global community of players, and the James Bond 007 machines have it.

The Greet Inc.

Yubin Kim and Dami song present The Greet container washer hub at The Greet Inc.

The Greet Inc., located in Seoul, South Korea introduced its reusable container sanitation stations in addition to its existing reusable containers.

The sanitation station is called drimm and customers can return their used containers to be cleaned. They don’t need to wash the containers before they are put into the machine.

To keep the stainless steel station’s interior clean and the cleaning containers from getting dirty, the machine employs a foam shield.

Machines are available for rent at locations and can be managed remotely.

When the storage rate for stations exceeds 80%, they can be retrieved.

Although the machines can be purchased, most people rent them out for a monthly fee.

Thundercomm

Roger Shimiza shows the Thundercomm exhibit the vision-based, dynamic vending machine.

Thundercomm is a Beijing-based IoT solution provider. It has introduced a prototype of its Smart Vending Machine Solution.

It consists of both a temperature-controlled cooler and a touchscreen display to monitor machine inventories. A camera is embedded in the cooler that captures and analyses each step of the buying process.

A payment device will also be included in the system.

VRLCO

A VRLCO visitor immerses himself into VR.

VRLCO was a Monterey Park, California-based maker of virtual reality arcade gaming. It presented a self service VR kiosk. Wearing a mask allows 360° viewing angles, allowing users to immerse themselves into VR gaming.

After the completion of the task, the kiosk’s UV light disinfects the headset.

Yobo Inc.

John Leone and Gabriel Kavans introduce voice technology to the Yobe Inc. show.

Yobe Inc. is a Boston-based company that provides voice solutions. It presented voice technology to enable retailers to capture and utilize voice data. These data may provide “biomarkers”, which can be used to personalize the experience by guests. For example, they could recognize them and pull up their preferences and rewards accounts.

This company will provide customer service interaction for self-order kiosks at PLNT Burger in New York City. To understand the company’s guests, they won’t have to speak slow or in an unnatural manner.

Yo-Kai Express

Andy Lin makes ramen using the Yo-Kai Express.

Amanda Tsung displays the YKE Desktop Machine at the Yo-Kai Express exhibition.

Yo-Kai Express is a Silicon Valley-based company that presented an autonomous restaurant platform offering freshly prepared food with more than 20 options. It also showcased its YKE Desktop small-form cooking machine, which uses radio frequency identification to serve ramen.

It can cook ramen in as little as 90 seconds. The machine also comes equipped with an RFID freezer capable of storing 20-24 bowls.

A consumer-facing app will be introduced by the company to allow customers to order from their phones and to earn loyalty points, discounts, and reward points.

Zooz Power

Boaz Youzer explains how flywheels can be used to boost EV charging at Zooz Power’s exhibit.

Zooz Power, an Israel-based tech company presented their kinetic power booster the Zoozter-100. This technology stores kinetic energy in flywheels and powers EV DC fast charging stations.

With its patented flywheel technology, the Zoozter 100 can drive unlimited high-power charges and discharge cycles. It has a longer lifespan than other battery chargers and is significantly more durable than conventional batteries.

It can recharge an EV battery within 15 minutes, even in places with limited power.

According to company, the solution has a lower total cost than chemical batteries.

Images courtesy of Networld Media Group.