The annual meeting of technology and electronics in Las Vegas has been deserted by the giants of the sector because of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19, but the start-ups have occupied the space with their innovations, their robots and their increasingly connected devices.
Selection.
– When the jaw becomes remote control –
Double click of the jaw, and the music stops: the idea works but its interest does not jump to the eyes, unless we consider a world with even more connected objects to control around us.
The French start-up Wisear is working on a technology to detect electrical signals between the brain and certain muscles to communicate with connected devices.
“For 30 years, we have improved the power of digital technology around us enormously, but we still use the same tools – keyboard, mouse, touch screen” to interact with machines, explains Yacine Achiakh, co-founder of Wisear.
“We want to create an inclusive and easy-to-use interface.”
At this stage, his team has integrated their system into headphones that can recognize jaw movements. Their user can therefore pause the music of a cell phone and restart it, pretending to chew.
The idea came to them by observing the progress of Neuralink, an Elon Musk company that designs implants to be able to communicate with machines through thought.
“We said to ourselves, it’s a shame to wait 50 years to have implants in the brain before allowing people to have a much better interaction with the digital world,” notes Mr. Achiakh.
His company plans to refine its technology (and expand its range of possible actions) to license it to tech giants.
These will be able to integrate it into headphones but also to augmented reality glasses, where users will enjoy controlling the display without taking out their smartphone.
– Robots with a dog –
Boston Dynamics’ robot dogs – which have been compared to the killer robots from an episode of the dystopian series “Black” – are back, with big ambitions.
They performed a dance demonstration to the music of South Korean group BTS, at the booth of Hyundai, which bought the robot maker last year.
The show also included an animated film detailing Hyundai’s vision for the four-legged contraptions.
The company hopes to one day send them to Mars, where they become the eyes and ears of humans curious to experience life on the red planet in virtual reality.
“By connecting the robots to the metaverse, we will be able to move freely between the real world and virtual reality,” said Chang Song, head of Hyundai, in a press release.
The metaverse designates the future potential of the internet, a kind of parallel universe where augmented and virtual realities will mix, which people will access via connected objects (glasses, helmets, etc.).
“The idea of metamobility is that space, time and distance will lose their relevance,” Chang Song added.
– Silence in the powder –
A ski at the front, a track at the back, a handlebar, a padded seat and above all, a battery: the MoonBikes are the first electric snow scooters, according to the start-up of the same name.
“It’s electric and silent, so it doesn’t bother customers and it protects the environment,” said Nicolas Muron, founder of the French company.
His idea was to make this type of vehicle more attractive and more accessible.
“88% of snowmobile users are men, with an average age of 46. So they are not for everyone. I wanted to make a machine that was easy to use.”
According to him, MoonBikes give sensations reminiscent of skiing. They are priced from $ 8,500 for pre-order in the United States.
– Boat without captain –
Hyundai has a solution for boaters who want to enjoy the sea without worrying regarding navigation.
The South Korean manufacturer presented at the show the “first autonomous boat”, which in 2021 completed a 10-kilometer journey with 12 passengers on board in Pohang City.
It is equipped with 6 cameras, depth sensors and artificial intelligence systems.
“By integrating autonomous navigation technology into pleasure craft, people will be able to greatly reduce the time required to dock as well as the risk of accidents during maneuvers,” Avikus boss Do-Hyeong Lim said in a statement. , the subsidiary behind this computer program.
Hyundai has announced that it is preparing the voyage of a large merchant ship with this technology.