The weirdest, best stuff I saw at 2023 CES

I’m back home after 2023 CES. That’s short for the Consumer Electronics Show, and it’s the largest trade show in the world, held annually in Las Vegas.

Because of it’s size, all sorts of companies and products are demonstrated their latest products there. Big companies included Alphabet and Samsung, demonstrating everything from existing products like the Google Home to ‘kind of here’ products like Waymo’s self-driving cars, which are running tests in certain regions. There are plenty of low-cost consumer products like smartphone cases and portable speakers. There are plenty of ultra-expensive, tricked-out versions of normal products, like a smart toaster. And then there are the cool, futuristic products that I’d actually consider having in my life, like the LG Rollable TV.

I attended 2023 primarily to attend the 2023 Emerging Aviation Technologies Thought Leaders’ Summit. As part of it, I was inducted with an inaugural spot in the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame.

But if you, like me, are at least curious about other types of tech besides just drones, then have a look at many of the other wild and wacky things I saw at 2023 CES:

(Mostly) normal products at 2023 CES:

But before we get to the wild and wacky, there was some stuff that wasn’t completely unexpected.

I see Waymo cars driving around pretty much every day in the Bay Area where I live! Though, I haven’t seen this style before, and it sure is cute! Of course, Google had a massive presence at CES beyond its driverless cars. There were folks there from Google Fiber, Android and more. I didn’t spot any Wing delivery drones though!

The Tineco Smart TouchScreen Toaster Toasty One was cool. But for $340, the “smart” features like a touchscreen and ability to toast side-by-side breads at two separate levels didn’t feel that much more worth it considering I can buy a toaster for less than $20.

I did appreciate the free toasted PB&J free sample. And hey, if you like it, you can already buy it on Amazon.

Lots of celebrities show up! Here’s Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger with Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Oliver Zipse.

I just thought this was lovely! A tree made of solar devices!

The proliferation of toilets at CES:

I showed you the normal stuff, so now it’s time to get into the funky stuff, which is mostly just toilets.

An employee from Withings displays the U-Scan, which is the world’s first hands-free monitor designed to attach to a toilet bowl. It collects urine for home urine screening which provides a variety of information about the pee-er’s health.

But that’s not the only smart toilet. The Vivoo Smart Toilet also conducts at home urine testing

Those are just two of the many smart toilets. One journalist argues that this proliferation of urine analysis tools is not necessarily a good thing, in what is one of the most compelling articles I read about 2023 CES.. Read why in Engadget.

Drones and other robots at 2023 CES

There were many robots to be found at CES, many of which fall into the drone category of being fully autonomous.

Consider this an underwater drone. This large-scale concept model of a future LNG carrier ship is designed to cross oceans economically and autonomously.

The SentiV autonomous agricultural robot by Meropy is a lightweight scouting robot designed to detect weeds, pests and diseases. It doesn’t fly, but unlock most rovers, it also doesn’t damage crops thanks to a unique wheel system.

Also in the agricultural department comes this John Deer 412R self-propelled sprayer.

There were plenty of traditional drones. Take the Palantir Technologies Skykit, which incorporates the companys software along with a UAV drone, trail camera, battery packs, and a SpaceX Starlink terminal into a self-contained defense intelligence package deployable to hostile environments.

Then there are the human-carrying drones, like the functional prototype Aska A5 eVTOL flying car.

And a drone for your home, or perhaps for your cat to play with. This drone from Ring is supposed to be an in-home security system, flying around your home and providing a 360-degree view of the rooms, which a camera on the wall might not provide.

It can be programmed to fly specific routes, and it can also be controlled manually using the Ring app on your phone. The camera is equipped with a 1080p HD camera that allows you to see live video of your home from anywhere. Additionally, it has a built-in microphone and speaker, which means you can use it to communicate with anyone in your home, and you can also hear what’s happening in your home from the app.

The Ring Always Home Cam is expected to be available later in 2023 and will retail for $249.99. It is compatible with the Ring alarm system, which means you can integrate it into your existing home security setup.

Autel used 2023 CES to launch its new EVO Max 4T drone, which is considered by some to be a worthy competitor to the DJI M30T drone. Read my full breakdown of the EVO Max 4T drone here.

Tech stuff I want to own (that’s not a drone)

I am The Drone Girl, but I love all sorts of tech! Here’s some stuff I legitimately want to see in my house!

This transparent TV from LG is incredibly cool.

I’m a sucker for all things Disney, so I liked these Bespoke Home refrigerators with Disney character panels from Samsung.

And then there was the absolutely darling Bird Buddy, which is a Smart AI-Powered Bird Feeder that notifies users whenever a bird stops by, sending a notification via the Bird Buddy app. It snaps a picture of the visiting bird, too.

Did you go to CES 2023? Or at least tune in from home? Leave a comment with your favorite new gadgets below!

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