Nothing much about Procter & Gamble screams cutting-edge, but once again it has arrived at the humongous CES tech show in Las Vegas to show off new products and prototypes that challenge that perception.
Most of all, P&G touted its new Oral B iO toothbrush, which among other AI features, gives users “positive brushing feedback,” with a sensor whose variable-speed smart drive adjusts to protect gums and enamel; a “3D teeth-tracking” feature; and an interface that provides guidance in best brushing practices.
P&G says in clinical tests, 83% of gingivitis patients using the device moved from unhealthy to healthy gums in eight weeks.
Is it really new? Oral B had introduced the AI Genius brush last February in Germany. A P&G public
relations company did not respond to several inquiries asking how, or if, the Oral B iO brush differs.
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The exhibit at CES is called the P&G LifeLab, which means to
impress upon CES attendees how the Cincinnati-based CPG giant is playing in the same innovative space they are. Last year, the first time Procter & Gamble came to CES with LifeLab, it won a few
“Best of Show” accolades.
The exhibit shows how P&G has “the speed and agility of a startup fueled by more than 180 years of global business expertise,” said David Taylor, P&G’s chairman and CEO, in a statement.
Other P&G products highlighted there include:
On the more playful end, probably none of the CES items are more parody-ready than a prototypes from Charmin’s GoLab” which includes RollBot, a toilet tissue-fetching robot;
Smell Sense, an electronic sensor that checks bathroom smells by measuring carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in the air; and V.I. Pee, “premium porta-potty experience” that provides VR
entertainment.
It’s not likely you’ll see any of these devices on your grocer’s shelf any time soon. But then again, laundry-doers once laughed at detergent pods, too. Now those colorful pods, pioneered by Tide, make up about 15% of the market.