CES 2017 has become the launch pad of new technology. This year, exhibitors — both established names and startups — presented products that are bound to excite homeowners who plan to turn their living spaces into smart homes of the future.
To help homeowners sift through thousands of choice gadgets from the trade show, we've rounded up our favorite smart home devices at CES 2017 in this list:
LG Levitating Portable Speakers
LG unveiled the PJ9, a surround sound speaker that automatically and wirelessly charges on its own when the batteries are already depleted. What makes the PJ9 stand out is the fact that it uses electromagnets to levitate. It is this feature that allows the gadget to provide excellent, 360-degree sound.
Kuri
Mayfield Robotics debuted their robotic assistant Kuri at this year's CES. The $699 robot can accomplish a number of tasks and even recognize specific people. Kuri can also respond to queries and "read" facial expressions. The intelligent robot's capabilities are due to an assortment of microphones, a camera, and sensors that properly accomplish the robot's tasks, such as monitoring your home on your behalf.
Samsung Home Appliances
Samsung's range of smart home devices just keep getting smarter. The newest additions to its line of smart refrigerators boast touchscreen features and can be connected to an app that allows people to perform a range of tasks, such as searching for recipes. The devices also support a voice assistant for the homeowner's ease.
GeniCan
The GeniCan is a smart attachment to your garbage can. Yes, even the simple task of throwing away your garbage can be smarter. The Duracell-powered gadget is developed in partnership with Amazon to create a time-saving innovation. By scanning the items you throw into your bin, the GeniCan can automatically add items to your shopping list. This partnership with Amazon means that the grocery items on your GeniCan-generated shopping list can be delivered directly to your home.
Moen U Shower
The Moen U is a smart shower based on the simple premise of convenience and comfort. Using a smartphone app, you can change the water to your desired temperature even before you hop in. In addition, the shower can also be timed to shut off at a specific time.
In the grand scheme of the Internet-of-Things, these smart home devices and appliances make it a point to be two steps ahead in catering to owners' needs.
For one, the ubiquity of Amazon's voice assistant Alexa at CES 2017 proves that gadgets are relying more and more on natural language to bridge the gap between humans and machines.
This year, the best smart home gadgets are the ones operated by artificial intelligence, and also the ones with far greater mobility and connectivity with other gadgets such as smartphones.
