2018 is here and CES has already taken place. Companies who participated in the tech event this year were able to share several advancements in consumer technology hardware. Serious followers of CES cannot discount its ability to launch the biggest technologies ever created. Over the years, a number of great products have been released at the annual CES event including the VCR, unmanned VR systems, and 3D printers. This year, the following are some of the great products that were showcased at the event:

Convertible Laptops/Tablets

Over the years, laptops and tablets have had their different technologies morph into one. But it is no longer enough to have laptops and tablets with touchscreens. 2018 is the year for increasingly convertible devices that are capable to perform more functions than their traditional counterparts.  Take the Lenovo X1 Yoga which comes with a keyboard you can fold behind it to bring it to tablet mode. If you want to have a laptop experience, all you have to do is unfold the keyboard. With a convertible, you have a more functional device than a tablet.

Companion Robots

So far, people have used robots to do the chores they would want to touch. Not so in 2018. Robots have been made to provide companionship and entertainment too. Take the Somnox robot which can help snooze off. The biggest surprise, however, was from Honda which exhibited robotic concepts that employed AI to make compassionate facial expressions. Another post: 5 Benefits of Business Process Automation

Health Sensors

The internet of things (IoT) seems to be coming of age at least with reference to the healthcare industry. Thus, sensors are being used as a way of giving people the power to improve their health. In CES 2018, sleep sensors were the most noteworthy.

Facial Recognition

Facial recognition software is nothing new but it is has been making great strides in recent months. It’s thanks to the iPhone X that this technology is becoming mainstream. With a combination of facial recognition and other biometric solutions, you should be able to make great improvements in security in 2018. This technology can work well on mobile devices as well as standard video systems.

Wireless charging

In the years past, you wouldn’t just be able to function without power chords. Time is coming to an end when you had to rely on power chords to charge your devices. It’s all thanks to wireless charging, which is already becoming a reality. Take Energous and Powercast, two brands that have unveiled chargers that can wirelessly charge multiple devices.

Augmented Reality (AR)

It seems augmented reality is poised to outpace virtual reality, at least based on CES 2018. This seems to be the year when AR is likely to get the biggest acceptance ever. It is expected to keep users immersed and connected at the same time. How it will gain acceptability is by increasingly being used on mobile devices.

If you are a player in the tech industry, you have every reason to keep tabs on the biggest trends. That way, you can be sure to stay competitive for longer.