THE INTERNET – From COVID-19 in-home tests to a variety of tech-infused face masks, the coronavirus pandemic changed the landscape of this year’s Consumer Electronics Conference.
CES, one of the biggest tech events of the year, would typically draw thousands to Las Vegas, but the pandemic forced online operations with the first 100% virtual conference held this week.
The pandemic not only changed the way the conference was run, but it also influenced exhibitors to create and showcase technology developed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s a look at some of the products designed at CES 2021 this year with the pandemic in mind.
Face mask with Bluetooth
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended wearing a mask last spring to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, it became part of everyday life.
But many have since noticed that there can be a few annoying parts of the face cover, such as talking on the phone, which becomes a hassle as sounds can be muffled under the mask.
Enter MaskFone, a face cover with built-in Bluetooth earbuds that can last up to 12 hours on a single charge.
The cloth mask is washable (remove the headphones first) and it also fits a filter.
It is available in multiple sizes, and prices start at around $ 50.
Automated temperature scanner
In the era of COVID-19, temperature controls have become standard practice. Usually, a person measures the temperature of each person before they are allowed to enter a company or event. The makers of GateDoc, a non-contact and automated temperature scanner, wanted to streamline the process, so they designed a machine that scans a person’s temperature before giving them access to a business or event.
The machine recognizes when a person is approaching and measures body temperature through the forehead, so it can be used with or without a face mask. It completes the temperature scan in 0.05 seconds.
When a person’s temperature reaches the threshold, they are allowed in; if not, the machine beeps and alerts the manager via an app.
A more expensive version of the machine also comes with a non-touch hand sanitizer dispenser.
Prices start at around $ 300, or about $ 365.
Portable COVID-19 detection sticker
The BioButton, a health monitoring sticker created by BioIntelliSense, sticks to a person’s chest and can screen a person for COVID-19 for months.
The coin-sized disposable wearable technology is designed to monitor the user’s vital signs – such as resting heart rate, respiratory rate and skin temperature – with medical accuracy. The sticker can follow a person for 90 days via an app, which sends the measured values via bluetooth.
The button can collect data and use it to determine if a person may have symptoms of a possible new coronavirus infection.
The technology is being used by UCHealth in Colorado to track health professionals who have received COVID-19 vaccines, and BioIntelliSense recently announced its partnership with the American College of Cardiology. In May, the cardiology college will allow those attending the conference to try out the BioButton.
The sticker is not available separately, but organizations can apply online to purchase the buttons.
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Lauren Bennett