Honda moved into the smart home market at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a new line of mobility robots. The robots include the 3E-A18, a companion robot somewhat resembling BB-8 from “Star Wars.” Capable of following its owner around both in the home and outdoors while strolling or shopping, the 3E-A18 has a face that can communicate emotional expressions, as well as soft, pliable skin so that it can provide hugs.
Unveiled along with the 3E-A18 was the 3E-B18, a robotic chair akin to that of the “X-Men’s” Professor X, with the ability to turn in a tight radius for easy indoor use. With the 3D-B18, the chair you use to surf the internet or play video games can be used to travel around your house or carry objects for you.
Honda’s new line of home robots illustrates what’s on the cutting edge in the latest home gear innovations. Here’s a look at three other recent home gear trends that high-tech enthusiasts will want to know about.
The Ultimate Home Theater TV
The latest home theater TVs were on parade at this year’s CES. The show stealer was Sony’s new 8K HDR TV, previewing the next generation beyond 4K Ultra HD. The unveiled model combines four times as many pixels as 4K with the brightest TV on the market. Up to now, the brightest TVs available have topped out at a luminance of 2,000 nits (candelabras per square meter). The new model delivers 10,000 nits, five times the brightness. This translates into the sharpest images available along with the most brilliant colors and starkest contrasts, providing a picture that comes closer to real life than ever before. All this comes with an 85-inch screen for a truly immersive home theater experience.
3-D Virtual Surround Sound
A top-notch home entertainment system isn’t complete without a quality sound system. Among the coolest audio gadgets at this year’s CES, a standout was Sennheiser’s Ambeo soundbar, which drew a crowd for its display of 3-D virtual surround sound. Equipped with drivers from high-end audio speaker manufacturer Neumann, the Ambeo soundbar is designed to support 3-D surround sound systems such as Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 setups or Sennheiser’s own 9.1 setup, which encircles the listener with a ring of cinema-quality sound. The result is a full surround experience with rich sounds coming from the left, right, above and behind. The bar’s HDMI inputs supports 4K/60 fps video pass-through, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, digital optical and analog RCA feeds.
4K IP Camera Security Systems
A high-tech home security system is another must-have for today’s home gadget enthusiast, and security system camera provider Lorex is on the cutting edge of the latest video surveillance technology. Lorex cameras range from 720p and 1080p options to 4K IP camera systems with advanced eight megapixel image sensors, equivalent to four times the pixels of 1080. Most models also come with weatherproof dust tight IP66-rated enclosures for outdoor use in all conditions, plus long-range night vision. Together, these features ensure the ability to capture high-resolution, rich detail surveillance footage, even in very low-light conditions, making it easier to identify intruders and objects such as car license plates.
New 8K TV home theaters, 3-D virtual surround sounds and 4K IP camera systems are three of the most innovative home gadgets on today’s market. Delivering the ultimate in entertainment realism and surveillance sophistication, these innovations provide a cutting-edge glimpse of what lies on the horizon in the future of home technology.
