CES reveals technology’s imperfect future

Off-site Consumer Electronics Show events usually start with a bus ride in Vegas, not a desert bicycle ride.

Off-site events at the Consumer Electronics Show usually start with a bus ride somewhere into the maze of Las Vegas, and very few involve a bicycle ride through the Nevada desert. But that’s exactly how things panned out for me as I tested AirDog, the auto-following GoPro-compatible drone, with a mountain bike ride through the desert. The alarm bells should have rung far earlier. As per the company’s website, the $US1599 ($2320) drone is foldable, portable and “not bothered by pelting rain”.

Arriving to the desert site 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas, the unexpected desert rain had begun. Edgars Rozentals, CEO of AirDog, emerged from a nearby truck and trudged through a muddy puddle to greet us with a firm handshake and the promise of staying dry while they demonstrated. In a moment of unbridled enthusiasm, I pinched Rozental’s jacket, strapped the tracked “leash” to my arm and rode off into the downpour. True to its word the AirDog really isn’t bothered by rain.

“Active” interaction, where a user engages deliberately with a device, is beginning to make way for intuitive, passive, almost invisible technologies. Humans are suited to physical, kinaesthetic tasks, not the repetitive typing on keyboards or poking at screens we currently use to program our lives. To be allowed to focus on the ride, while being assured of excellent footage made my experience with AirDog one of the most liberating interactions with technology I’ve experienced.

Of course, AirDog is not alone in the vanguard of intuitive technology. Dryly labelled “Internet of Things” devices promise to permeate our lives, merging our digital and physical experiences. On display at this year’s CES were smart light bulbs (get home and the lights will turn on), a shower head that helps you save water (the flow will stop once a set time is up) and even a smart baby sock (an alarm will sound on your phone if your baby stops moving).

So what connects these seemingly disparate devices? They just work. After an initial set-up, these devices become part of your everyday life, only alerting users when necessary.

Shopping lists? Forget them, the Smarter Mat will figure out what you need. Strapping on a fitness tracker? Samsung’s built them into belts and clothes now.

The major players have realised the potential begging to become the hub for your “smart” life. Apple’s HomeKit, based around Apple TV, promises universal access to products through iOS devices, LG offers an open Google-based solution through its new home hub and WebOS 3.0 televisions while Samsung envisions every one of its products communicating with each another. Buying into one of these ecosystems offers near-invisible control of your devices, only requiring occasional interaction via popups on your phone, TV or smart hub.

HTC’s Vive VR headset similarly embraces intuitive control, allowing users a generous play area in which to freely move about.

Of course, these technologies aren’t perfect yet. But that’s CES’s raison d’etre: giving us an imperfect and brief glimpse into the future of man’s mastery of machine.

James Tindale travelled to CES courtesy of LG.