LAS VEGAS —
It's day two of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 in Las Vegas, and KING 5's Chris Cashman and photojournalist Emily Landeen have discovered more unique tech ideas.
CES is an annual event that brings innovators together. It's branded as “the largest and most influential tech event in the world.”
Here are 5 Things Chris and Emily saw during their second day at the event. If you want to catch up and see their findings on day one, click here.
1. 50 years of CES: The Rock and Bill Gates
CES celebrates 50 years in 2020, and it's easy to see just how much the event and tech have grown since its beginnings. On Instagram, actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson paid tribute to CES and Seattle royalty, Bill Gates. Johnson wrote a rather special post about his first appearance at the tech gathering in 2001. "On this day back in 2001, Bill asked me to help him launch the WORLD'S FIRST XBOX," Johnson wrote. He also discussed how Gates has gone on to change the world for good and that they continue to have a philanthropic relationship.
2. Impossible foods
One of the biggest success stories at CES has been Impossible Foods. The plant-based meat company was the only food company showcased at CES last year. The company said they saw significant growth after winning their Innovation Awards at CES in 2019.
The Impossible Burger 2.0 was so successful that they decided to once again do the impossible. On Thursday, they served up samples of the latest big food news: Impossible Pork and breakfast sausage. Impossible Bacon is already in development.
3. E-bike in a backpack
When you see someone pull an impressive innovation out of a backpack and assemble it in under a minute, you take notice. Smacircle is a fascinating company that launched a compelling mobility device over the summer.
The Smacircle S1 is billed as the "world's lightest, smallest, most innovative micro-mobility." It's an e-bike that fits into a backpack. The bike unfolds in about five steps and you're ready for take-off
So far, there have been no issues taking the bike on airlines and it can be customized in five to seven days. Chris may or may not have had them make a Seahawks colored bike!
4. Robot ping pong
Omron Robotics is working to show that artificial intelligence isn't scary. To do that, they have Forpheus, a ping pong teaching robot. Chris squared off live on Take 5 and it was a humbling experience. Not only does it play at a pro-level, but it is actually designed to teach table tennis with high speed and accuracy through synchronized sensing.
New in 2020, Forpheus has the ability to sense mood and motivation with your movement. It knew when Chris was mad and slowed down to lighten the mood.
5. WALL-E in real life
Transportation has always been a hit at CES. Segway’s S-Pod is a vision of the future inspired by movies like Jurassic World. The concept lounger on wheels provides a floating feel with an incomparable balance that apparently can’t tip over. There's a single start and stop joystick that gets it moving. Segway's goal is to evolve the design to include safety belts and other protection but the smooth ride is a graceful introduction to the future of a familiar name. It can also go nearly 25 mph!
CES 2020 is not without drama-- high-end speaker line Sonos announced that it was filing multiple lawsuits against Google, claiming Google stole their tech and was even selling knock-off Sonos speakers.
Chris and Emily will head back to CES once more on Friday, where he will unveil another day of tech goodies.