Smart future tech at CES
(Part Two)
In our previous blog we took our first glimpse into the future with some of our highlights of this year’s CES; including a full windscreen heads-up display for cars, brighter OLED screens that could be the heart of the home cinema of the future and artificial intelligence (AI) entering our kitchen. Here’s some more developments that we’re looking forward to offering in the near future…
HTC VR Headset
There’s definitely a lot of interest in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) at the moment. The Meta Quest VR headset has been around for a while now and focuses on gaming and Apple is rumoured to be launching a high-end AR headset later this year. HTC (known for their mobile phones) used CES to launch their new Vive XR Elite standalone headset. Unlike other VR headsets, this one also doesn't have the usual head strap on top—no more messing up your hair when wearing it. Not only will it be suitable for gaming, but HTC claims it is perfect for watching movies and TV, giving the impression of watching a huge immersive screen. Each eye gets its own 4K display and built-in diopter adjustment means spectacle wearers can use it ‘glasses-free’.
Flying indoor security camera
We’re not kidding. Ring (owned by Amazon) announced a security CCTV camera mounted in a drone that flies around the interior of your home. ‘Always Home Cam’ provides multiple viewpoints throughout your home without requiring the need for multiple cameras installed in different rooms. Similar to robot vacuum cleaners, you build a map of your home for it to follow, which allows you to ask it for specific viewpoints such as the kitchen or bedroom. The drone is fully autonomous, but you can also teach it a specific route it can take and where it can go. It will fly on demand if you want to have a quick check around the house while you’re away; and can be programmed to fly when a disturbance is detected. When its batteries are running low it’ll return itself to its docking station to recharge.
See it in action at https://youtu.be/i2jFN_QEcS4
Does it Matter?
One of the biggest talking points at CES was ‘Matter’, the new smart home connectivity protocol that allows all sorts of devices from different manufacturers to communicate securely and reliably with each other. Crestron and Control4 are members of the Matter working group so integration into existing smart home control systems is likely; you’ll just get a significantly wider choice of solutions from a wider range of manufacturers that can be integrated into your smart home.
There are certainly plenty of exciting developments for smart homes in the months and years ahead; contact Modal AV if you’d like to be the first to take advantage of any of the products we’ve highlighted when they become available.