CES, the annual commerce present packing among the newest – and sometimes strangest – new applied sciences, returned to Las Vegas this week for its 2025 iteration.
Dominated by the continued rise of synthetic intelligence and a few fascinating visions for shopper electronics, the occasion supplied a glimpse of what we will count on to see in the marketplace later this yr.
From a rollable laptop computer display screen to an umbrella with photo voltaic panels and even a “private AI supercomputer” that matches in your desk — right here’s a take a look at the tech which captured our consideration essentially the most.
Robotic vacuums get arms (and legs)
Not content material with merely zooming round, robotic vacuums are rising additional appendages left, proper, and centre.
On the left and proper sides we’ve the Dreame X50 Extremely, which has two small legs which the corporate says can push it up a step as excessive as 6cm.
Some robotic vacuums have already been capable of tilt up barely to recover from small rises and thick rugs, however a 6cm climb is (actually) an enormous step up for vacuum tech.
Beforehand solely an idea design, Dreame’s new flagship mannequin received the CES 2025 Worldwide Breakthrough Award and is anticipated to go on sale later this yr.
The Dreame X50 Extremely robotic vacuum. Picture: Dreame / Equipped
When it got here to central appendages, Roborock’s new Saros Z70 vacuum — additionally coming this yr — impressed onlookers with its skill to select up objects akin to socks whereas driving round cleansing the ground.
The vacuum’s five-axis robotic arm, referred to as the OmniGrip, might choose up issues weighing as much as 300 grams, Roborock stated, and will determine different objects akin to beanies, items of paper, and small towels.
The corporate confirmed the function might be disabled if mandatory, and there’s an emergency button and baby lock to stop an I, Robotic Vacuum scenario.
Lenovo’s rollable laptop computer display screen
First displayed as an idea design two years in the past, Lenovo’s laptop computer with a versatile and retractable show is now going into manufacturing because the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6.
The system can roll out vertically from a 14-inch OLED show to a 16.7-inch show after urgent a devoted button or making a gesture to the pc’s digicam.
The laptop computer is designed primarily for enterprise professionals and would assist folks get extra work performed, Lenovo stated.
It may be fairly helpful for watching vertical video (à la TikTok) or streaming an additional window of content material when you work — however you didn’t get that concept from us!
The laptop computer is anticipated to begin at round $5,500 ($US3,499).
Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 6. Picture: Lenovo / Equipped
Nvidia’s ‘private AI supercomputer’ and online game helpers
Nvidia, which dominates the AI chip market and has grown to be one of many world‘s most useful firms, confirmed off some fascinating makes use of of its newest tech.
Founder and CEO Jensen Huang unveiled “a private AI supercomputer” referred to as Mission Digits, which gave the impression to be very highly effective regardless of its comparatively small measurement.
The product would provide a petaflop of AI computing efficiency “for prototyping, fine-tuning and working giant AI fashions”, Nvidia stated, which means it might perform a thousand trillion calculations per second.
“Inserting an AI supercomputer on the desks of each knowledge scientist, AI researcher, and pupil empowers them to have interaction and form the age of AI,” Huang stated.
Mission Digits is anticipated to be out there in Could, beginning at round $5,000 ($US3,000).
Nvidia’s Mission Digits AI supercomputer. Picture: Nvidia / Equipped
Nvidia additionally confirmed off some fascinating purposes of AI for avid gamers, together with an improve to the everyday non-playable characters (NPCs) we’re used to seeing in video video games.
The corporate says it’s increasing the autonomous sport characters it first launched in 2023, which it calls ACE, into “autonomous sport characters that use AI to understand, plan, and act like human gamers”.
These characters would have the ability to make selections whereas utilizing visible and audio knowledge to understand their in-game environments, Nvidia stated.
Right here’s an instance the corporate shared of how it might work within the standard sport PUBG: Battlegrounds.
When you assume you may want much more assist, gaming {hardware} firm Razer touted an “AI gaming copilot” which it stated was designed to make its customers higher at video video games.
The corporate stated its Mission AVA system would run by “tens of millions of sport simulations inside seconds” to assist customers get prompt knowledgeable recommendation “with out ever having to tab out”.
A beta launch is within the works for “later in 2025”.
This ‘cellphone toaster’ swaps batteries
Again on the quirkier facet of CES, an organization referred to as Swippitt drew consideration with its battery-swapping Swippitt Hub, which some reporters agreed appeared like “a cellphone toaster”.
When a cellphone in a particular Swippitt battery case is positioned contained in the system, it mechanically replaces the drained battery with a charged one in simply two seconds, the corporate stated.
The Hub holds 5 charged batteries internally, which it then pulls out and in of the case on the consumer’s cellphone.
“This know-how will change how folks take into consideration battery administration and assist paved the way in direction of a wiser, easier path to energy cellphones,” Swippitt founder and CEO Padraic Connolly stated.
The system is anticipated to ship in June for iPhone fashions, with help for Android telephones later in 2025.
The Swippitt Hub. Picture: Swippitt / Equipped
A photo voltaic panel umbrella
Charging firm Anker used CES 2025 to unveil what it referred to as “the primary solar-powered umbrella”, which might cost gadgets on the go.
The Anker SOLIX options photo voltaic cells made with perovskite, a complicated and versatile materials which has additionally been utilized by Australia’s CSIRO.
The Anker SOLIX Picture: Anker / Equipped
The tech permits the umbrella to be foldable and have some water and dirt resistance.
Anker claims it additionally improves energy technology in each brilliant and low-light circumstances.
The umbrella is anticipated to be launched in mid-2025 — and if it involves Australia, simply take into consideration all the daylight you may flip into screentime.
