5 favourites from CES 2016

Autonomous Cars, Wearables and Augmented Reality. Some of our favourites from the CES tech Show in Vegas

For those that don’t know the CES or Consumer Electronic Show is a huge trade show in Vegas which happens once a year. The show attracts the world’s biggest brands, innovators and thinkers who all get together to showcase the latest technology and provide consumers with an insight into what we can expect from gadgets in the future. A small team from Protect Your Bubble flew out to see what all the fuss would be about this year. Here are a few of our favourites and what else you can expect in 2016.

We just had to share this innovative cat litter tray, mainly because it looks like an astronaut’s helmet. The idea is the cat will jump in, do its business and then get back out. The tray will then rotate 180 degrees, the poo will drop into the bottom tray and you’ll get notifications sent straight to your mobile phone when you need to empty the tray. We’re unsure if you’ll be able to get your cat in this futuristic litter box or even if you’d want notifications telling you that your cat’s litter box is full but there you go.

Drones were literally everywhere as you’d probably expect. However, this one stood out from the rest. The Ehang 184 is a human-sized drone that can carry a human passenger for 23 minutes at a speed of 60mph. The drone is also fully automated, passengers simply input their destination and the drone does the rest. To us, this is quite a scary thought but the Chinese company responsible for the drone says it’s actually safer as it removes human error from the equation. To top it off the drone’s wings fold in making it easier for storage. At over $250,000 it’s unlikely we’ll all be flying around in one of these anytime soon but it does give a great insight into what the future could hold for transport.

It will come as no surprise that gaming was huge at CES2016. The future of gaming definitely appears to be in the augmented reality sphere but we’ve been hearing about this for years. However, 2016 appears to be the year consumers will finally be able to get their hands on VR gaming. Oculus were once again at CES and looks likely to release the Oculus Rift sometime later this year. However, it won’t be cheap and you’ll also need a powerful computer in order to be transported to a new reality. Nevertheless, after having a play with one the concept is certainly impressive and 2016 should be the year we make big strides towards a new world of video gaming with Playstation and HTC not far behind.

Autonomous cars were all the rage at CES 2016. The latest technology includes smart tech systems that are able to interact with traffic lights, other cars and road signs in order to get you from A to B safely. We already have partially autonomous features now such as self-parking and if you’re really up with the times motorway self-driving. However, in the near future expect to see a new breed of smart cars which will be in constant communication with you and the road. Constant traffic information, car diagnostics and lane control will all be available as well as heart sensors which will detect drowsiness prompting a refreshing fragrance to be released in order to wake you back up. This is only the tip of the iceberg, during CES 2016 Kia revealed its new Drive Wise programme and is committed to having fully autonomous cars on the road by 2030. We’re talking about driverless cars that will be able to pick you up and take you from A to B by themselves which is an exciting but slightly concerning prospect all rolled into one.

The latest in wearable technology was on full display at the CES2016. Fitbit launched their new stylish Blaze which has added onscreen workout and music control to its armoury. The future appears to lie in technology that is lined within your clothing. Sensoria Fitness showcased its latest tech which included a running top and socks which feature technology which they claim will provide even better monitoring than your traditional wearables. The socks will also measure cadence and running style providing feedback which should allow you to avoid injury. There are drawbacks, one being that you must remove all sensors before washing. All round body monitoring through smart garments is definitely the way forward we’re just not sure the technology is quite there yet. A special mention should go to the very stylish TomTom wearable spark. The Spark has all the usual features you’d expect from a fitness watch including GPS tracking, 24/7 heart monitoring etc. but the feature we thought was great was its ability to store 500 songs from your phone's playlist. Allowing you to work out phone-free but still enjoy your music.