|
The Consumer Electronics Show held each January in Las Vegas is considered to be the most important display of everyday technologies expected to hit the market during the rest of the year. Judging by the sneak preview held recently in New York, consumers in 2016 can expect continued advances toward the 'smart everything' world. High-definition cameras, sensors, electric motors and remote controls have become so small and cheap they can be put on most everyday objects. Using the processing power of our smartphones they become, well, robotic. "Slowly, slowly we're going to see more robots in our lives. They're not going to look like actual robots but it's going to be robotic technology that's applied to other appliances or devices which are going to make our lives much easier," said technology analyst Jonathan Roubini. A smart ball called Sensor Sphere can easily serve as a remote sentry, checking if everything's fine when you' re away from home. "You can drive it around from one room to another and it can stream live video, audio, temperature and humidity information and even smoke information if there is a fire in your home," Sensor Sphere founder Omar Barlas. The sensors are so tiny that there's room for more, for instance a thermal imaging camera which can look for survivors in closed, tight spaces such as collapsed buildings. Sports equipment manufacturer Adidas presented a soccer ball that will provide coaches and fans with exciting information. | 
