The Most Outrageous Tech Finds of 2019

01/14/2019 — At the start of every year, the greatest minds in tech come together to debut the toys, robots, cars, and devices of tomorrow. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held in Las Vegas each January, wrapped up last week and debuted a wide range of amazing tech offerings. While most of the products presented are attainable, there are always a few that raise an eyebrow. Below are a handful of the wackiest, coolest, and most out-there tech toys at CES this year.

Image courtesy of Robotemi
Image courtesy of Robotemi

temi

Meet temi, the newest additional to your family. No, temi is not a pet—it’s a responsive, video-oriented personal assistant robot. The robot looks like an iPad on a tall movable base that can maneuver its way around your home. With temi, parents can video chat with their kids while they’re away on business, young adults can ask for assistance with cooking a new recipe, and kids can play interactive, education games. Think of it as a smartphone device that moves, learns, and talks to you.

Image courtesy of Foldimate
Image courtesy of Foldimate

Foldimate

Leaders in the tech world are working every day to come up with gadgets that are going to make our lives easier. Foldimate is one of those gadgets. Introduced at CES this year, Foldimate is a laundry assistant that folds your clothes for you. It can even do up to 25 pieces in under 5 minutes! Learn more about it here.

Image courtesy of Groove X
Image courtesy of Groove X

Lovot

Groove X is a startup company behind the very cute robot, Lovot. A mashup of "love" and "robot", Lovots look like a plush toy you’d find in a kid’s aisle. They’re small, round, and furry, with wheels, sensors, and a 360-degree camera so it can move, respond, and interact with you. They also love hugs, which is probably because their sole purpose is to make you happy. You can’t deny that these robots are downright adorable.

Image courtesy of Wilkinson Baking Company
Image courtesy of Wilkinson Baking Company

Bread Bot

The Bread Bot is no ordinary vending machine. Designed for grocery stores, it kneads dough, proofs to perfection, and bakes the ideal loaf of bread. Once baked and cooled, customers can select the loaf of bread they want to take home and get on their way in no time. But the coolest part is the design of the vending machine—the oven is pressed against a glass wall you so you can see the whole process in action! Now how do we get this in our kitchen?

Image courtesy of BOCCO
Image courtesy of BOCCO

BOCCO emo

The future is here and it’s in the form of an emotionally responsive robot. BOCCO emo is simple—the communication robot reads texts, including emojis, and voice messages out loud. However, the small robot also conveys emotions based on the text content and the user’s voice. For example, if you speak to it using happy words, its antenna shakes. For negative messages, its cheeks turn red. It can also move its head and greet nearby users.