Nibbling cats and COVID masks: First check out CES tech current

A finger-nibbling plush cat and a cooling fan for the ever-present anti-COVID masks: the CES tech current in Las Vegas on Monday supplied a glimpse of the alternatives at this 12 months’s meet-up.

CES, one in every of many world’s largest commerce festivals, is pushing ahead with an in-person model after being online-only last 12 months because of COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are nicely timed—and quirky—merchandise that may seemingly be pitched on the Wednesday to Friday convention:

Cooling masks

Entrepreneur Eric Fouchard obtained uninterested in feeling scorching and stuffy beneath his anti-COVID masks, so he obtained right here up with a tiny air stream system which may be mounted beneath a face masking.

The fan is held in place with a magnet assembly and is powered by a small rechargeable battery held in a strap that passes over the once more of an individual’s neck.

“The first way to use it is when you are on a plane or a train,” he instructed AFP. “The second one is when you are working and you need to remove the mist on your glasses.”

“The filtration of the mask stays the same,” Fouchard, a Frenchman, talked about of his Aeronest system.

‘Sweet biting’

The Japanese phrase “amagami” interprets roughly to “sweet biting” in English.

“We find it very comfortable and we want to bring it to the world,” Japanese entrepreneur Shunsuke Aoki talked about.

He reworked that impulse proper right into a small, battery-powered plush creature that nibbles gently in your finger.

Aoki talked about youthful canine or cats will harmlessly do the similar issue, which is a provide of comfort for people—noting that he likes to let the machine nibble his finger whereas driving.

“In a COVID situation, with people staying home every day, it gives you very good comfort,” he added.

Who’s driving?

Who will seemingly be behind the wheel of the race cars scheduled to hit the monitor at CES? No one.

“It’s completely self-driven. There’s software that tells the car what to do,” talked about Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of Energy Systems Network, the organizers of the Indy Autonomous Challenge racing rivals.

“It takes the information from the sensors and it tells the car whether to turn, whether to brake, accelerate or overtake another vehicle,” he added.

Autonomous autos will race on Friday on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at speeds of as a lot as 160 miles (virtually 260 kilometers) per hour.

The prepare just isn’t just for satisfying: Mitchell talked about the rivals assessments autonomous tech at high speeds so that, one day, autos can operate themselves on highways.

“Race cars and racing in general is a great platform to push the technology to the absolute edge,” he added.

Mask for better than COVID

The white plastic shell of these masks covers the nostril and mouth—and seems like one factor out of Star Wars.

But their inventors say they’ll stop air air pollution, micro organism and even COVID.

Connected to a belt-worn machine, it contains an “active” filter capable of destroying advantageous particles and pathogens or air pollution.

“It’s a fantastic tool to fight the COVID crisis,” talked about Franck Glaizal, co-founder of Airxom.

“Traditional masks are not 100 percent airtight, air passes through the sides. Our mask is completely airtight”, talked about Trong Dai Nguyen, an engineer with the company.

The current model is due to be launched in only a few months, for about $340.

“If you change (surgical) masks every four hours, after three years it is more expensive than our mask,” he added.

© 2022 AFP