Seven Unforgettable Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

Why lug a suitcase all over an airport when you can have one that moves along with you on its own. That’s the idea behind Ovis, luggage created by a Chinese company called Forward X Robotics. It comes equipped with cameras and uses facial recognition technology and a movement tracking algorithm to lock in on its owner and stick with her or him at a speed of six miles per hour. Ovis is even able to avoid collisions as it makes its way through crowds. To make sure it doesn’t stray, the suitcase comes with a smart wristband that vibrates if it gets more than six feet away. It also has two USB ports so it can serve as a charging station. But perhaps best of all, Ovis has embedded GPS, so you can always track it if it goes missing. The buddy bag is expected to go on the market within the next few months at a suggested retail price of $799.

It’s just a matter of time before Uber goes airborne. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of its partners, Bell Helicopters showed off what it’s calling the Nexus Air Taxi. A hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft that seats four passengers and a pilot, it uses six large tilting rotors to enable it to take off or land vertically from rooftops. The Nexus will have a range of 150 miles and a top speed of 150 mph. Augmented reality also may be part of the flying taxi experience, possibly through flight details or sightseeing info projected on to the windows. The Nexus is expected to make its pilot flight next year, with a goal of operating in several major cities by the mid-2020s. See for yourself.

If you’re bored with seeing yourself in the mirror, a new device called the Savvy Smart Mirror can make things more interesting. That’s because it doubles as a giant touchscreen. It can show you a weather report or the news, play music or connect you to Instagram. In fact, it can download almost any Android app, so you can even watch movies on it, if you’re so inclined. Savvy Smart Mirror also can be set to control lighting and a thermostat. Earlier models were designed for hotel rooms, but it is now available for homes. Ah, but mirrors this versatile don’t come cheap. The Savvy Smart Mirror, produced by Electric Mirror, Inc. in Everett, Washington, is priced at $2,500.

You may think you know every imperfection on your face, but can you really be sure?  That’s where Lu Mini comes in. Described as an “AI Skincare Assistant,” it’s the brainchild of a South Korean firm called Lululab. The handheld device uses a multispectral camera to do a facial scan below the surface of your skin in seven seconds. Then it uses AI to rate your skin and highlight trouble spots in six different categories—wrinkles, pigment, redness, pores, acne and oil secretion. It follows up with suggestions for skin care products that deal with things your mirror can’t tell you. Lu Mini is coming to cosmetic counters this summer.

In its ongoing quest to invent the ultimate meatless burger, California-based Impossible Foods unveiled its “Impossible Burger 2.0.”  The gluten-free burger is made from soy and potato protein, and its creators say it has even fewer calories than its predecessor and no cholesterol. What distinguishes the Impossible Burger from the typical veggie burger is that it’s made from a plant-based version of heme, a molecule found in blood and that, according to the Impossible Foods folks, makes it taste meatier and juicier. The new Impossible Burger will make its debut in grocery stores this summer.