[imagesource: Samsung]

There’s a lot to be said for the limitless power of the human imagination, and nothing exemplifies that more than the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Last year cats appeared to be a recurrent theme, with smart litter trays, a cat-inspired food delivery system and most horrifying of all, a headless kitten geared towards comforting the elderly.

The headless kitten is back this year (Petit Qoobo), and this time it’s small enough to fit into a decently large handbag, so I’m pretty sure Yukai Engineering could have included its head (and limbs) if they’d really wanted to.

It’s worth taking a look at this thing:

Why doesn’t it “do well with loud noises”? That seems like a weird thing to build into a ‘comfort robot’. The last thing you need if you’re anxious is a headless, limbless cat toy freaking out when the morning alarm goes off.

But, I digress.

Alongside the weird, there are more than a few wonderful tech innovations on display, including the following five gadgets which we’ve selected from a list compiled by The Telegraph.

These were all revealed in the presentation before day one kicks off, so I’m sure many more weird and wonderful gadgets will be revealed in due course.

Samsung’s Robot Butler

Those of you who read the site know that I’m not a fan of robots, and this one is no exception, but I can see the benefit, especially for those who live alone and need a bit of help around the house.

It’s able to load the dishwasher, lay the table and most importantly, pour and bring you a glass of wine.

Now, that is something that I can get behind.

MyQ PetPortal

The MyQ pet flap is built to blend into a house or back garden. Rather than just a plastic flat the whole door is replaced with a ‘smart door’ fitted with a pair of sliding doors that let your pet in or out.

Pets are fitted with a Bluetooth collar so that only they can move in and out of the house.

Reah Keem, LG’s Virtual Influencer

Okay, so I had to throw one more weird one into the mix because you have to see this.

Reah Keem introduces herself (itself?) as a songwriter and DJ, spoke about of her love of travel and her desire to get it back, but said that those days were still quite far away.

Travel you say? I have so many questions.

Believe it or not, Reah Keem is not the first virtual influencer.

A Facemask With A Phone

Predictably, there were a few pandemic-inspired gadgets from day one of this year’s show, including the MaskFone.

It’s exactly what you think it is. It connects to your actual phone allowing to make and take calls without having to shout through your mask, or heaven forbid, take your mask off so that the person on the other end of the line can hear you.

Dallara’s Driverless Racing Car

This one really grabbed my attention. Despite not owning one, I’m a car enthusiast. The highlight of my holiday was a spin in an AC Cobra, with that beast of a V8 engine. Bliss.

While the joy of the drive factor is taken out of the modified IL-15, it still packs a punch. It has been retrofitted with radar and Lidar systems, high-definition cameras and a package of computing horsepower designed to allow it to navigate obstacles and make decisions at extremely high speeds.

You can and should check out more gadgets here.

[source:telegraph]