Michael Grothaus 05/01/2017 - 2:09pm

CES 2017 – tech has never looked so wild, wacky, and promising.

The annual international Consumer Electronics Show kicked off into high gear this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is THE flagship show for all the cool, weird, and just downright wacky tech coming out this year. Though major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon generally eschew the show in favor for their own, more controlled, events later in the year CES still offers plenty of previews of the coolest upcoming tech from dozens of major companies.

There’s one thing to keep in mind, however. Just because something is unveiled at CES doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll make it to market. Most of the things shown off there will, but there are plenty of devices that companies love to show off just to get attention from the press and public—things like rollable displays or concept smart cars that are still years away from a consumer release. That being said, there’s a ton of stuff unveiled to get your hands on in 2017. Here’s a mashup of both our favorite prototypes and the actual consumer products that have been unveiled at this year’s CES so far.

LG Hub Robot

 

As if you needed another sign the smart speaker was going to be THE gadget of 2017, LG is getting into the game to compete alongside the likes of Google Home and Amazon Echo. Like the Echo, LG’s new Hub Robot is powered by Alexa, but it features a built-in display and the Hub Robot will actually rotate to face the direction the user is speaking in so they can see its display.

Griffin Connected Toaster


 

Yeah, just because. Why else would someone make a smart toaster? This wacky Internet of Things device debuted alongside the company’s Connected Coffee Maker and Connected Mirror gadgets. The Connected Toaster’s goal is to make your morning routine a little easier and automated. The device features digital temperature adjustment settings for bread type and darkness and has a companion app that remembers individual user preferences.

Virtual Reality Shoes

 

Geeky, but really cool, Cerevo’s virtual reality shoes are designed to let VR gamers feel the world around them. They slip on over your feet and are embedded with haptic sensors so you can “feel” what it's like to walk on an alien planet or kick an enemy in the crotch. They’ll cost somewhere around £1000.

Kérastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings

 

Sigh. Withings, Kérastase, and L’Oréal have teamed up to bring you a smart hairbrush. No, that’s not a joke. The brush features sensors with signal analysis algorithms that determine the quality of your hair and "monitor the effects" of your haircare routine. There’s even a built-in microphone that listens to the sound of your brushing to determine if you have split ends or frizziness. And yep, it's got an accelerometer and a gyroscope to analyze your brushing patterns and count your brush strokes.

AirBar for MacBook Air

 

One of the cooler gadgets at CES this year is Neonode’s AirBar for MacBook Air. It’s a dongle that sits above the keyboard on the 13in MacBook Air and turns the device into a touchscreen computer. The company says the device emits an invisible array of lights over the MacBook's screen, which senses touch and movement from fingers, gloves, and even tools like paintbrushes. Best of all there’s no software required, just plug and play.

PowerRay Fishing Drone


 

Love drones? Love fishing? Then the PowerRay fishing drone is for you. This submersible times to “redefine recreational fishing” by using sonar and LED lures to track down and attract fish for you. The PowerRay’s sonar can detect fish up to 40 meters away and the drone can go as deep as 30 meters down. It even features a Wi-Fi connection that sends video (including 4K) and images back to a smartphone app up to 70 meters away. That same app will also alert you when fish are in your area.

Kado Ultra-slim Chargers

 

A more practical device, Kado's ultra-slim chargers aim to tackle the charger size problem: our smartphones are getting thinner but their chargers are staying just as thick as they were in the old days. Kado's ultra-slim chargers are credit card sized and can fit in your wallet when folded. Just expand the charger’s prongs and plug it into an outlet–and then plug your smartphone into it–to charge up your device.