Apartment renters want smart home technology so much that many are willing to pay extra for it. Many studies on smart homes presume the home is owned, rather than rented, which could make a difference as to what type of connected devices a consumer purchases.

Despite the experience it can provide, virtual reality is still a relatively small component of the Internet of Things. A key barrier is cost -- 96% of the online population do not own a VR headset, according to a new study.

The wearables market is shifting, at least in terms of the pace of development and the selection of connected products. This can be a bit of a challenge for the makers of wearable devices, since they rely on continuing hardware purchasing for their revenue.

A shopper would use a mobile phone or a device provided by the store to summon a drone, which the consumer could then direct to do price verification of a product -- or have the drone provide navigation assistance.

Robots can now have facial expressions like people. A robot named Charles that can mimic the facial expressions of humans has been created at Cambridge University.

More robots are going to work at Walmart, using artificial intelligence shelf-scanning technology to track inventory.

Augmented reality is finally starting to get more real. Millions of consumers of all ages discovering it through Pokemon Go a while back was a start, at least for people seeing what AR actually is, even if they didn't know what to call it.

Many consumers using digital voice assistants want brands to help them improve their knowledge or help organize their daily lives.

The self-driving Uber car that hit a pedestrian who later died in Arizona is not likely at fault for the accident, according to early police findings. "The driver said it was like a flash, the person walked out in front of them," Sylvia Moir, Tempe, Arizona, police chief, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "His first alert to the collision was the sound of the collision."

Many consumers seem willing to try various Internet of Things technologies, if they can come across them. For example, many consumers would consider drone delivery of products, but almost a third have not even considered it.