• by Sarah Ivey , Op-Ed Contributor, January 9, 2020

LAS VEGAS -- Hunting for the best “unsung” innovations at CES is an experience that’s a cross between being a truffle pig and one of those guys from American Pickers. This is especially true of Eureka Park, where the state fair/carnival atmosphere is sometimes just too much for people to get past. That’s where, frankly, as curators for tours, we have the most fun.

Now on our third day at TechWest and Eureka Park, we’ve had a chance to continue to hunt and to show the technologies to wide swath of clients, from research institutes to packaged goods, from major retailers to heads of hospitals. Based on client reaction alone, here are the unsung people pleasers on the floor or Eureka Park.

1. Technis Smart Floor: You may be thinking…does the world need another smart device?  YES. As part of the Hardware Club accelerator program, Technis Smart Floor uses dead simple pressure resistor technology and embeds in a micro thin format that can be laid down on any surface. Want to detect a fall? No problem. Want a traffic count? What about one that shows how many people, how long they stayed? It’s a very simple smart solution to a multitude of business and environmental challenges, with strong analytics and a subscription model. Brilliant.
2. Sunflower Labs: Here’s how this home security system works: you plant extremely sophisticated motion sensors in your lawn, disguised as lights. When they pick up activity that’s out of the norm, your app gets alerted. You can then decide to launch your very own drone (it comes with its own clamshell storage/launch unit) where you can fly the drone over your house to see if there’s a security breach. Don’t leave this unit unattended if you have a teen in the house.
3. Mind Affect: Cognitive interfaces are in their nascent stages, and I’m always interested in tracking their development. Mind Affect uses a headband to transmit visual patterns (via a tablet) to stimulate certain areas of the brain, to link those patterns to movement without anything other than thought and moving your eyes. The Mind Affect team is keen to speak to developers to create use case scenarios. When I said nascent, I wasn’t kidding – but that represents great opportunity for the right application.
4. Gatebox: The most charming booth, hands down, is the collection of innovations from Japan. From the Lovot the cuddly companion robot to the second iteration of Mui, the smart wood display, it’s lovely to spend time here. One of the hits on the tour is Gatebox’ holographic AI personality/companion. Literally an anime genie in a bottle, the technology combines AI-driven interaction, voice assistant features and a stunning high-quality hologram to create perhaps one of the most unsettling innovations of the show.

As we wind down later on this afternoon, it’s hard to resist continuing to hunt. That’s the great thing about Eureka Park – you know that there’s always more to find.