10 Innovative Smart Home Gadgets From CES 2021 That You Can’t Miss

CRN looked through hundreds of exhibitors to find some of the most innovative smart home technologies on display at the virtual CES 2021, and they included smart pillows, smart baby cribs, smart air-quality clocks and home energy assistants.

Modular Smart Outlets, Home Health Labs And More

If you tried to find the latest smart home gadgets at CES 2021 on your own, you may have had some difficulty finding the most intriguing and innovative products on display, as there were literally hundreds of products in the virtual exhibition hall this year.

We’re not talking about regular smart thermostats or smart plugs here but other kinds of smart home technologies that you may have not considered before, like modular smart outlets, home health labs and, if you want to get festive, smart wine dispensers.

What follows are 10 innovative smart home gadgets from CES 2021 that are either entirely new or things you may have not even heard of before. Either way, you shouldn’t miss out.

AirCozy Interactive Smart Pillow

The AirCozy Interactive Smart Pillow automatically adjusts the height of the pillow to create the most comfortable sleeping position for the user. This is made possible in part by a semi-wearable sensor that comes with the pillow. The premium version of the smart pillow comes with the ability to stream music via Bluetooth and select from five different white noise sounds as well as a music timer function, all of which can be controlled using a remote control. Details on pricing and availability were not available.

Albi Home M+

Albi Home M+ is marketed as the “first eco-conscious” smart wine dispenser, which uses AI to optimize energy consumption and can store wine eight times longer than any other preserving method. The wine dispenser is designed to automatically serve wine at its ideal temperature, thanks to a temperature control system, and switching between wines is meant to be easy, with no need to clean internal parts. The wine dispenser comes with a smartphone app, which can be used to get information on the selected wine, set the wine temperature and set the time to supply. It’s also compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri and IFTTT for voice control and automation. The wine dispenser’s preservation method includes an automated vacuum function that removes oxygen from the wine bags whenever a new pour is made. Details on pricing and availability were not available.

BebeLucy

BebeLucy is a smart baby crib and smart recliner that comes with five unique motor motions and speeds that are designed to soothe the baby to sleep. The crib comes with a timer and five white noise options to improve sleep routines. The crib can also detect whether the baby is asleep, the baby’s sleep position and the baby’s heart rate, with the ability to display the baby’s status in a smartphone app. Details on pricing and availability were not available.

Bisu Body Coach

Bisu Body Coach is a home health lab that provides personalized health advice based on urine and saliva samples. The device reads and analyzes the urine or saliva samples from a one-time use collection stick that is placed in the device, providing results and health recommendations in the smartphone app within two minutes. The vendor, Bisu, plans to provide different sticks for a range of tests over time. The first test type will analyze electrolytes, hydration, antioxidants, fruits and vegetables intake and oxidative stress, among other things. Bisu is currently accepting applications for a beta stage, and the company expects rollout to begin this year, with FDA approval expected in 2023 or later for baby health and fertility tests. Details on pricing is not available.

Ecojoko

Ecojoko is a home energy assistant that analyzes electricity consumption in real time and provides recommendations on how to reduce energy waste. The device works by connecting to the general circuit breaker — an installation that only takes 10 minutes and without an electrician. When connected, it displays in a smartphone app a list of devices using electricity, how much energy they’re using and how much money that translates into. The device is currently available in Europe for 199 euros.

FogShield

FogShield is marketed as the “world first IoT 5G all-in-one standalone intruder prevention solution.” In other words, it’s an advanced security camera with fast internet connectivity, but what sets it apart is a smoke diffuser that disperses harmless smoke when an intruder is detected in a building. The device doesn’t require an IoT gateway as it comes with 5G Cat-M connectivity, and it works with existing security systems. In addition to the smoke detector, it comes with an HD video camera, two-way voice communication and a PIR motion detector. Details on pricing and availability were not available.

Gardyn

Gardyn is a fully automated vertical indoor growing system for produce. It has capacity for 30 large plants, but it only takes up two square feet. The appliance combines hydroponics and aeroponics to recirculate water, air and nutrients in a closed loop for all 30 plants, and it uses an AI gardening system, aided by cameras and sensors, to know when to adjust levels. Gardyn’s smartphone app sends notifications for when it’s time to harvest plants and refill water in the reservoir, and its vacation mode ensures that the plants will be automatically tended when users are away. The starter harvest kit costs $899, and it’s expected to start shipping by mid-February.

Lasso

Lasso is an automated home recycling system that uses internal sensors, cameras and AI to identify materials for proper processing and sorting, whether it’s glass, plastic or metal. To determine if an item can be recycled, users can scan the item’s barcode using Lasso’s app and then place it in the appliance’s front slot for cleaning and processing. When Lasso becomes full, it will notify the user and suggest times for curbside collection. The company behind Lasso said the appliance “guarantees closed-loop recycling” while also allowing users to track their consumption and carbon offset efforts. The appliance will eventually support plastic film, cardboard, paper and organics. The release date for the product is not known, but it’s expected to cost around $3,500.

Oracle

Oracle is an air-quality monitoring clock that uses an AI calibration algorithm to increase the accuracy of its commercial fine dust sensors. The clock continuously measures seven kinds of indoor air pollution, including volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide, and it also monitors temperature and humidity. In addition, the clock uses a light sensor to adjust its brightness levels across 512 steps. When pollution is detected, the perimeter of the clock will glow red. The clock costs 300,000 South Korean won, and it’s not yet available in North America.

Swidget

Swidget is a modular smart home system that allows users to swap out different modules for a variety of functions in wall plugs and switches, from Wi-Fi connectivity and motion sensors to guide lights and video cameras. The Swidget consists of Swidget outlets and switches, which are installed like normal outlets and switches, and Swidget inserts, which come with various features, like Z-Wave control and temperature sensors, and slide into the outlets and switches. The idea is to make it easy to upgrade to newer technologies by only having to swap out the insert. Swidget is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, Wink, Z-Wave and IFTTT. The outlets and switches range in cost from $37.99 to $65.98, and the inserts range from $19.99 to $71.99. They are available now.