CES 2022 shows off humanoid robots, new Samsung folding phones, BMW that changes colour

BMW has revealed a new hi-tech car at CES that allows you to change its colour. It comes after humanoid robots and phones with incredible new screens were also unveiled.

Morgan Roe, director of operations at Engineered Arts, speaks about the Engineered Arts Ameca humanoid robot with artificial intelligence as it is demonstrated during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Picture: Patrick T. FALLON / AFP

Human-like robots that quite literally raise an eyebrow, smartphones that fold out three times over, and cars that change colour were among the standout innovations to debut on the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday.

The futuristic technology may take some time to arrive in stores and become widely available, however, with much of it still in development.

Among the standouts on the first day was an expressive humanoid robot created by British firm Engineered Arts and designed to communicate directly with people.

The robot, known as Ameca, uses artificial intelligence combined with what Engineered Arts operations director Morgan Roe called “artificial body” technology to create realistic human expressions, “superior motion and gestures”.

The Engineered Arts Ameca humanoid robot with artificial intelligence is demonstrated during the Consumer Electronics Show. Picture: AFP

“A humanoid robot will always instil an image of what the future may hold,” he said. “Ameca represents a perfect platform to explore how our machines can live with, collaborate, and enrich our lives in tomorrow’s sustainable communities.”

The robot, he said, was also designed to be “non-threatening,” could be manufactured in four months and would be available to purchase or rent to businesses in future.

One of the biggest tech names at CES also showed off groundbreaking tech on Thursday, with Samsung’s display division revealing four new folding prototypes in private showings as a Las Vegas hotel.

They included the Flex S, with a screen that folds out three times to reveal as screen as large as a tablet computer, the Flex G with three panels that fold in one another, and a Flex Note that serves as a laptop with two big touchscreens.

Samsung Display also revealed its concept for the Flex Slideable that features an extra screen that appears from beneath the main display to show off extra app shortcuts, for example.

There’s no date on when Samsung could release these in a smartphone, however.

Also on show at CES in 2022 were plenty of advanced in automotive technology. Arguably none were as striking as a project from BMW, however, who showed off a vehicle that changes colour.

The BMW iX Flow SUV features an exterior co-developed with E Ink — the technology used in Amazon Kindle screens — that will let drivers change the colour of their vehicle with the touch of a button.

BMW iX Flow concept was shown off at CES 2022 in Las Vegas.

The colour change requires little electricity and draws no power while it remains one colour.

BMW project head Stella Clarke said the car’s unique finish would let drivers express “different moods”.

“This gives the driver the freedom to express different facets of their personality or even their enjoyment of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car,” she said.

Only monochrome finishes are available with the technology so far, however, and there’s no date for its launch.

The futuristic technology was also seen by fewer people this year as normally packed Las Vegas exhibition halls, hotels and conference centres attracted only a fraction of its normal audience, following cancellations due to growing Covid infections in the US.