CES 2022: New gadgets from smart baths to cat robots, mega TV and gaming screens

From robot cats and light bulbs that record your sleep to smart baths that fill on command, this is the best and weirdest tech on show at CES in Las Vegas.

An attendee places a finger inside the mouth of Yukai Engineering Amagami Ham Ham play-biting cat robot during CES 2022. Picture: Patrick T. FALLON / AFP

Need a bath that fills itself? What about a computer screen that rises above your head or a robotic pet cat that nibbles your finger?

These are some of the strange technological feats unlocked at the Consumer Electronics Show this week as the event returned to Las Vegas for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Crowds and exhibitors may have been well down on 2020 but there was still plenty to see, physically and virtually, and lots to set the tech agenda for 2022.

These are some of the best and strangest devices revealed that are worth watching this year.

Samsung Odyssey Ark

CES

This gaming monitor is not like its peers. The giant, 4K screen towers over players in a way Samsung Australia consumer electronics vice-president Jeremy Senior describes as “a vertical cockpit style experience”. The 55-inch curved screen is designed to fit multiple elements on to one display; showing a game below and video chats above, for example. It also comes with a wireless controller to adjust brightness and other settings and can be used horizontally.

Kohler PerfectFill

The Kohler PerfectFill is a smart home kit designed to fill your bathtub on command.

This unexpected smart home gadget is designed to make filling the bath as simple as asking an app to make it happen. Kohler’s PerfectFill system includes a smart drain, controller and digital valve and is designed to be used with a compatible smart spout. Once installed, users can choose from one of 10 presets, establishing the desired water temperature and depth, and users can ask the bath to empty itself too. The kit will go on sale for $US2700 ($A3768) in May.

Amagami Ham Ham

The Amagami Ham Ham is a cat-like robot on show at CES 2022 that nibbles users' fingers.

An obvious contender for the wackiest gadget of CES is this cat-shaped robot designed to nibble at your finger. A creation of Japanese start-up Yukai Engineering, which earlier launched a calming catlike pillow robot, this soft robot is designed to bring comfort and relieve stress. Its finger-nibbling action is triggered when you place a finger inside its mouth and it promises 24 different styles of bites. The company plans to launch its cat robot in a crowd-funding campaign this autumn.

Withings Body Scan

The Withings Body Scan device can monitor a host of vital signs.

Don’t confuse this device with mere smart scales — the Withings Body Scan device features sensors to measure much more than just your weight. With its handle and platform, it will measure your body composition, from fat and bone to muscle, and will also tell you about the distribution of those elements, and even indicate whether you have any muscle imbalances in your limbs. The device also features a six-lead electrocardiogram to monitor your heart health and can even test the nerves in your feet.

LG One:Quick Flex

The LG One:Quick Flex is a connected TV screen designed for easy video calls.

A TV screen created with the pandemic in mind, this portable TV screen is equipped with a camera, microphone and speakers for delivering video calls with family, but it can also spin around vertically to create presentations for work and be drawn on with a stylus. Unlike other portable TVs, it does need to be plugged in to a power source, but it could be a good investment as a simple video call set-up and, as a bonus, an ideal way to do a video call in the best location in your home.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 features two screens.

This unorthodox gaming laptop adds an extra screen without compromising its keyboard. The Zephyrus Duo 16, as its name suggests, features a 16-inch main display but it complements that with a 14.1-inch screen that flips down to deliver extra controls during games or while editing photos, for example. This machine is also built for power, with up to 64GB RAM, an eight-core, 16-thread chip and plenty of connections, though it doesn’t have a launch date yet.

John Deere Autonomous Tractor

The Deer & Co. John Deere 8R fully autonomous tractor is displayed ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show. Picture: Patrick T. FALLON / AFP

Who knew tractors would be the first self-driving vehicles? The biggest name in the farming equipment, John Deere, showed off its first fully autonomous tractor at CES, equipping an existing 8R machine with a kit that includes six cameras and an on-board computer. Farmers can watch the tractor’s progress and direct it using a smartphone app with a live feed, while the tractor’s computer monitors for objects in its path and determines whether to change course or stop. The company plans to sell a small number of kits this year before a wider launch.

Sengled Smart Health Monitoring Light

US start-up Sengled promises that its Smart Health Monitoring Light will use radar technology to monitor users' heart rate and sleep.

Possibly the most unexpected health gadget on show at CES was this early model light bulb from US start-up Sengled. The company plans to launch smart bulbs that use radar technology to detect the heart rates, body temperatures and sleep details of people in their homes, transferring data gathered to a connected app. Its makers promise the light bulb will even be able to detect whether residents have fallen. The smart bulbs are due to launch at the end of the year.

Originally published as CES 2022: New gadgets from smart baths to cat robots, mega TV and gaming screens