Coming Soon To A World Near You
Like most usually-live events, the Consumer Electronics Show, arguably the most influential tech event in the world, was a little different in 2021. The challenges that pushed the event to go virtual, however, couldn’t have been a better case in point for the relevance of the central theme: 5G streaming.
The innovations showcased by CES presenters will impact everything from education to entertainment, with complete Augmented Reality and immersive experiences. If that future seemed far-fetched or just far away to the average consumer a year ago, it doesn’t now: the speed at which streaming has transformed people’s day-to-day lives is hard to overstate. And what comes next extends far beyond the capabilities we’ve seen so far.
The pandemic spotlighted cases for 5G and connectivity, with the necessity of remote healthcare and monitoring options spiking alongside things like demand for more immersive in-home entertainment. Ten times faster than 4G, 5G will make advances like remote surgery, augmented reality live sports, and specialized banking transactions not only possible, but seamless. And because 5G is all-inclusive, small business and consumers will have the same technology at their fingertips as the biggest corporations.
While live events—including CES—stand to benefit from 5G’s immense entertainment-enhancing capabilities, the same technology applies to the less entertaining, but crucial fields of finance and healthcare. With 5G Network Slicing, businesses can “slice” off part of the network to allow for very specific connections; operations like banking transactions can have their very own piece of the network, optimized and secured for a particular use.
Additionally, 5G capabilities will enable the kind of drone delivery that can revolutionize modern medicine, like UPS’s Flight Forward initiative, focused on high speed, specialized delivery of lab specimens and live-saving drugs.
The same capabilities can also be applied to professional sports events like what CES attendees experienced at its recent show —a football game featuring multiple camera angle options and augmented reality, allowing fans to customize their experience while enabling teams and coaches to learn from plays in real time. Additionally, conference attendees saw how 5G came to life in the way of live music concerts. For example, concert viewers scanned a code with their smart phone, launching a real time performance, complete with Augmented Reality. The ability to select a specific performer and move the phone to see up-close details like instruments and gear, expanded the experience exponentially.
The implications for entertainment and even tourism are limitless -- technology, including next-era learning models, is already being implemented, including high fidelity 3D scanning at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Over the next five years, you’ll be able to explore Augmented Reality objects like the Apollo 11 Command Module from your living room.
With the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses in all sectors of the economy scrambled to adapt, implement, and evolve. Whether in healthcare, finance, education, entertainment, tourism, or anywhere else, the businesses that choose to build on that momentum, developing strategies to capitalize on the next big leaps rather than relying on a “return to normal,” are those who will define their industries going forward.
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ALZHEIMER’S DETECTION HELMET
The same electroencephalogram (or EEG) technology used in doctors’ offices and hospitals to detect electrical activity in the brain to diagnose neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and dementia, is being made portable.
Source: iMediSync
iSyncWave is hoping to bring the EEG process home with a brain-mapping helmet that can detect early signs of Alzheimer's dementia and provides LED therapy for dementia, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, ADHD, depression and other neurological issues. Unlike traditional EEGs, which require adhesive electrode patches attached to the scalp or electrode helmets filled with gel, the iSyncWave helmet currently being developed would simply sit on top of the head.
RAZER PROJECT HAZEL “SMART MASK"
Though this “smart mask” concept from gaming hardware company Razer, dubbed Project Hazel, isn’t hitting shelves anytime soon, the prototype is an intriguing example of what the masks of tomorrow—or, let’s be real, the masks of this year—could look like. Yes, it lights up, with LEDs powered by Razer's Chroma software, so the color schemes can be personalized. But Project Hazel also features a clear plastic faceplate so the wearer’s nose and mouth are visible for lip-reading and facial cues, while internal lights keep the face illuminated. A reusable N95-grade filter on either side of the mask keeps particles from spreading, and a built-in “voice amplifier” de-muffles the voice. All the electronics require daily charging, but the charging cradle doubles as a fully enclosed UV disinfecting station.
Source: Razer
OMRON COMPLETE™ BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR
EKG is an essential measurement for those with atrial fibrillation, also known as arrythmia or Afib, a condition causing irregular heartbeat that can lead to complications including increased risk of stroke and heart failure. Complete™ is the first blood pressure monitor with EKG capability in a single device. An upper arm blood pressure monitor takes EKG readings using touchpad electrodes located on the top and both sides of the monitor for easy access and comfort. In addition to atrial fibrillation, Complete can also detect tachycardia, bradycardia and sinus rhythm. By measuring more data points, Omron is helping users get a more complete picture of their heart health. Complete received FDA clearance and is the recipient of the iF Design Award 2019 for uniqueness, innovation, aesthetics, and performance. Bluetooth connectivity allows users to sync readings with the accompanying Omron Connect app to store, track and share data with their physician.
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