CES 2024's Most Intriguing Gadgets: eVTOLs, AI Home Agents, Smartwatches, and More

LG's smart home device incorporates robotic and AI technologies and is billed as an all-encompassing home manager and companion, aligning with LG's vision of a "Zero Labor Home." With a distinctive two-legged wheel design, the AI agent independently navigates homes, interacts verbally, and expresses emotions through articulated leg joints. Powered by Qualcomm's Robotics RB5 Platform, it connects with and controls smart home appliances, serving as a moving hub. The AI agent can also monitor the environment in real time, acting as a pet monitor or security guard.

Garmin's Lily 2 series introduces the brand's more stylish, health-centric smartwatch lineup, with refreshed designs, metal cases, and hidden displays with patterned lenses. Offering up to five days of battery life, these watches offer a sleep score, dance fitness tracking, and Garmin Pay contactless payment. Other health essentials include Body Battery monitoring, sleep insights, fitness tracking, and stress management, along with smart notifications. Pricing starts at $249.99.

Airdrop Gaming's Audio Radar is a dual-function technology enriching gaming and online interactions. For gamers, it transforms in-game audio into visual cues on LED lightbars, enhancing the immersive experience by depicting sound direction and location. It also functions as a professional selfie lighting studio for video conferencing or streaming, providing customizable lighting with up to 16.2 million colors. With advanced audio processing and a versatile LED display, the $399 Audio Radar offers benefits for both entertainment and professional purposes.

TCL presented the RayNeo X2 Lite, a new pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses intended to offer powerful assistance in everyday life and will also benefit from the use of artificial intelligence. A 12-megapixel camera makes it possible to produce first-person videos in high quality, alongside three microphones to enable high-quality phone calls. The AR glasses are expected to hit the market in Q3 — no price information is available yet.

Hyundai's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company debuted at CES 2024 its S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi concept — a follow-up to the S-A1 introduced four years ago. With eight rotors and a quiet electric propulsion system, the eVTOL is pitched as an everyday urban transport solution. The S-A2 boasts a cruising speed of 120 mph at 1,500 feet, covering short trips of 25 to 40 miles. There's room for a pilot and four passengers — commercial use could arrive by 2028.

Designed by Clemson University students at the university's International Center for Automotive Research, the Deep Orange autonomous off-road vehicle excels in cold weather disaster relief and urban reconnaissance. With LiDARs, cameras, and GPS, it provides swift aid in inaccessible areas and in creating digital maps for disaster-stricken terrain. The vehicle's unique design features 24-inch-wide tracks, a 45-mph speed capability, and a series hybrid propulsion system for efficient and dynamic off-road performance.

The $2,000 ZenScreen Fold MQ17QH screen with OLED technology can be connected to any notebook (or other device) via USB-C or HDMI. The folding technology solves the dilemma that comes with conventional additional screens — a lot of additional screen space is great when working but also is a pain to carry. Sturdy metal housing offers an integrated stand used to position it upright or horizontally on desks, and a hole that can be used to screw it to tripods, so the screen can hover above a notebook display.

Belkin's $180 whisper quiet charging stand offers 360-degree face, body, and movement tracking, with a motorized 90-degree auto tilt for video adjustments. The device integrates with iOS through Apple's Works with DockKit — just one NFC tap means easy pairing and integration. Compatible with FaceTime and other video conferencing apps, it features a single-button control for tracking activation and deactivation. Additional features include 15W MagSafe wireless charging and 5-hour rechargeable batteries for stand-alone use.

Sabre's refillable Smart Pepper Spray comes with a free app, compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, allowing users to stay connected by sending location-linked texts during spray use, with live GPS tracking for added safety. The device can also send Bluetooth alerts for out-of-range situations, ensuring reconnection before venturing out. The company also offers an optional monitoring service in partnership with Noonlight, a 24/7 certified call center that contacts the police and provides real-time location data to help the authorities locate and assist the user.

Sabre's refillable Smart Pepper Spray comes with a free app, compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, allowing users to stay connected by sending location-linked texts during spray use, with live GPS tracking for added safety. The device can also send Bluetooth alerts for out-of-range situations, ensuring reconnection before venturing out. The company also offers an optional monitoring service in partnership with Noonlight, a 24/7 certified call center that contacts the police and provides real-time location data to help the authorities locate and assist the user.