The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held each January, is a global stage for innovators worldwide to present their products and unveil futuristic technologies that address human challenges and enhance overall quality of life.
The recent CES 2024 tech show in Las Vegas featured an array of innovations, ranging from electric vehicles and transparent televisions to state-of-the-art virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence. Notably, the spotlight was on the remarkable strides made in advancing cutting-edge accessibility solutions and assistive technologies designed to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
Starkey’s Genesis AI
Starkey Laboratories introduced Starkey’s Genesis AI hearing aids, which have earned recognition as a CES 2024 Innovation Awards Honoree in the accessibility and aging technology category. The cutting-edge Genesis AI hearing aid technology is equipped with an onboard deep neural network accelerator engine.
Genesis AI assures wearers the capability to discern soft sounds amidst the noise, achieve more natural word and speech distinction, and reduce the effort required for listening. As highlighted by Starkey, users can take advantage of Genesis AI’s Edge Mode+ for continuous scanning, adaptation, and optimization in response to changes in acoustic environments.
Additionally, the My Starkey application complements the device, providing features such as fall detection alerts, controls for adjusting the hearing aid settings, a lost aids finder, call streaming, step counting, and various other functionalities, according to the company.
Whispp’s Assistive Voice Solution
Whispp's AI-powered solutions bring new optimism to over 300 million individuals worldwide grappling with voice disabilities. At CES 2024, the company unveiled its latest phone-calling feature, which converts whispered and vocal cord-impaired speech into the user's natural voice in real-time.
Joris Castermans, Co-founder and CEO of Whispp, emphasized the significant impact of voice disabilities and speech disorders like stuttering on an individual's life and happiness. He stated, “Our solution aims to empower individuals in their daily lives and work. We’re not just transforming voices; we’re advancing communication by making it accessible to all and enhancing quality of life.”
Whispp's app uses AI to convert voiceless speech into natural, voiced speech in seconds. Owing to its language-independent nature, this technology is noteworthy for its scalable recording. It records their unique voices by recording their past or current healthy voices, adding a personalized touch to their communication.
Whispp stands out as a game-changing platform, catering to a wide spectrum of voice types – from whispers to rough speech resulting from total laryngectomy after throat cancer. Due to neurological changes in the speech system, the app is particularly effective for numerous disorders in which it is beneficial to steer the voice into whispering intentionally.
Lumen’s Power Glasses
Lumen, a startup dedicated to developing assistive technology for individuals managing disabilities, unveiled its vision impairment-assisting glasses at CES 2024. Described by the company as "replicating the main features of a guide dog," these glasses employ the same technology found in self-driving vehicles ingeniously scaled down to a wearable size to aid wearers in navigating their surroundings.
The company asserts that its solution addresses the need for a scalable assistive option for persons with vision impairment, given that guide dogs are a costly alternative currently serving only a limited portion of the global blind and visually impaired population.
Having undergone testing by more than 250 individuals with visual impairment, the glasses are presently undergoing clinical investigation. Lumen anticipates that the glasses will soon enter production, with expectations to hit the market in the second half of 2024.
OrCam’s MyEye
OrCam Technologies, a company specializing in personal artificial intelligence assistive technology platforms, unveiled enhanced features for its MyEye device at CES 2024. The augmented AI by OrCam now enriches the MyEye device's capabilities, offering enhanced support for users with visual impairments.
The company highlights that this assistive technology expands the device’s functionalities, encompassing immediate text reading, facial recognition, and product identification while facilitating dynamic interactions akin to natural conversations. Users can seamlessly inquire about their surroundings through voice, gesture, or a simple tap.
OrCam's AI companion is finely tuned to each user, providing precise and on-demand responses tailored to the wearer’s unique inquiries. Based on this, MyEye’s AI extends the device’s capabilities beyond immediate environmental interaction, allowing users to access extensive information. Through engagement with the web, the AI companion offers a detailed understanding of a wide range of topics and current events.
CEA’s Wimagine
Another revolutionary breakthrough showcased at CES 2024 was Wimagine, a brain implant crafted to aid paralyzed individuals in regaining the ability to walk. Developed by France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Wimagine translates human thoughts into physical movements through a digital bridge or an exoskeleton. Despite this groundbreaking technology progressing toward clinical trials, it’s anticipated that an additional 5-10 years of research will be necessary before it becomes ready for widespread use.
Parrots Inc’s Polly
CES 2024 featured the launch of Polly by Parrots Inc., a platform that employs AI and machine learning to deliver real-time telehealth to individuals facing severe neurological impairment. Polly, presented as a SaaS, hardware-agnostic solution, communicates through real-time voice and video capabilities, providing contextual responses to the user. Parrots' AI camera detects objects, and the Smart Polly Bot assists users in navigating daily tasks through the platform.
DreamFace’s Socially Assistive Robot
Presented at CES 2024 by DreamFace Technologies, Ryan stands out as an AI-enabled socially assistive robot that facilitates personalized conversations, enhancing cognitive function and emotional well-being for older adults. Equipped with advanced features such as speech recognition and facial expression recognition, Ryan can understand and respond like a close friend.
Beyond conversation, Ryan offers custom Yoga sessions, boasts 15 cognitive and physical games, and can set reminders, positioning it as an ideal companion for promoting healthy aging. With safety features in place, Ryan ensures a secure and enjoyable experience for seniors residing independently or in care facilities.
Socially assistive robots like Ryan provide a unique form of engagement that holds the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for millions of aging adults. Interacting with Ryan, an AI-enabled assistive robot, can enhance memory and cognition while simultaneously alleviating the caregiving workload.
GyroGear’s GyroGlove
Globally, around 200 million individuals endure lifelong, incurable hand tremors, a condition associated with ailments such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremors, significantly impacting their overall quality of life.
In a noteworthy debut at CES 2024, Boston-based medical tech startup GyroGear introduced a hand-stabilizing glove designed to help individuals with Parkinson’s and hand tremors reclaim control over their lives.
This groundbreaking device is the world’s most advanced hand tremor stabilizer, potentially marking a significant milestone as the world’s inaugural mechanical gyroscope medical device. The GyroGlove incorporates a high-performance gyroscope, providing instantaneous stabilization of hand tremors and restoring considerable quality to the affected individuals' lives.
Augmental’s MouthPad
If you can use your tongue, engaging with digital devices becomes as accessible as using a conventional mouse. Developed and launched by Augmental, an MIT Media Lab spinoff, the innovative MouthPad made its public debut at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. This fully customized wearable employs Bluetooth technology to facilitate hands-free, tongue-driven control of the user’s computer, smartphone, or tablet. As stated by Augmental, the device serves as an “11th finger,” offering a novel and seamless interaction method for anyone exploring innovative ways to connect with personal devices.
MouthPad is crafted to minimize user speech interference, ensuring effective communication with those nearby. This feature holds particular significance for individuals relying heavily on speech for daily interactions. Moreover, MouthPad benefits those incorporating supplementary voice recognition software into their everyday lives.
Bringing Accessible and Assistive Technologies into International Spotlight
With a record 4,300 exhibitors, including an unprecedented 1,400 startups from diverse corners of the world, CES 2024 emerged as an influential international platform. It allowed many companies to showcase innovations centered around accessibility and inclusivity, leading the way in addressing some of the world's most critical challenges. As an increasing number of innovators endeavor to adapt and broaden their product portfolios to cater to the needs of individuals with disabilities, we can anticipate the mainstream adoption of more such accessibility solutions in 2024 and beyond.
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