CES 2015 preview: 9 high-tech gadgets that are turning heads

TheCES International consumer electronics showdoesn't officially kick off until Tuesday,but CBC News got a sneak peek at gadgets ranging fromremote-controlled appliances to wearable technology that tracks your movements - and even helps you move faster.

This years CES in Las Vegas one of the largest technology showcases in the world is expected to have more than 3,600 exhibitors from 140countries, with more than 20,000 products on display.

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Many of those products will never make it into mainstream production, while others willlaunch but ultimately fail to resonate with consumers. Some will spark theimagination of the public, investors and competitors, and a handful mayeven go on to become the next big things.

Here's a sampling of what was on display at theCES Unveiled preview Sunday evening.

Tiny programmable robots

Slightly bigger than a marble, the Ozobot is billed as the worlds smallest programmable robot.

California-basedEvollveInc. is aiming the rolling 'botsat kids, who can use the associated mobile app to input colour-codedinstructions.

The $49 USOzobotcan follow lines drawn on paper ortablets, and can speed up or spin based on easy-to-master, colour-based instructions.

Ring controller

Simply called Ring, this Japanese-made $269 USwearable deviceallows people to control a host of household appliances, including lamps andtelevisions.

By pressing a stud on the side of Ring with your thumb, you can draw gesturesin the air that turn items off or on.

Smart luggage lock

New York-based Digipas is negotiating with luggage makers to incorporateits smart lock, which is activated by near-field-communications.

Rather than fiddlingwith keys or combinations, users wave their phone over the lock andit opens.

The company says it expects its device would add about $20USto thecost of a piece of luggage.

Child-proof outlets

Thousands of children end up in hospital every year after sticking theirfingers (and other items) into electrical sockets. San Diego-based Briobelieves it has an answer with the Safe, a $49 USwall socket that usessensors to differentiate between plugs and other objects.

The socket only lets power flow if an electrical plugis detected. Anything else stuckinto the hole wont receive a charge, preventing someone from being shocked.

The company aims to ship the Safein the spring.

Sports tracking

Nowadays, theres hardly anything in sports thatcant be monitored and yourswing is no exception.

California-based Zepp Labs has an eponymoustracking device that can be attached to a variety of sports equipment,from tennis rackets and baseball bats to golf gloves.

The Zepps sensorsdetermine the speed and angle of a swing, as well as other data, and willdisplay different information depending on which sport you're playing andwhat mobile app you're using.

The Zepp is available now for $149 US.

Friendly faces

The product with perhaps the friendliest nameat CES this year, the Welcome fromFrances Netatmo, is a home security monitoring camera that uses facialrecognition.

The camera will give family members and friends an all clear.but will send the homeowner a notification if it detects a stranger.

Thecompany says it expects to ship the device in the spring, but doesnt yet have aprice for it.

Connected kettle

For North Americans who think that getting off the couch to put the kettle on for some teais a hassle, theres good news. U.K.-based company Smarter hasthe solution:a kettle that connects to a smartphone via a home wi-ficonnection.

The kettle can be turned on wirelessly, and a notification sent to the phone lets the userknow when the water is hot.

The smart kettle, which sells for 99 pounds in theU.K. (about $180 Canadian), is scheduled for a spring-time launch in North America.

Smarter step tracker

This spring, Frances Withings islaunching a new fitness tracker and watch called the Activite Pop. It houses a removable battery that promises eight months of power, therebyobviating the need for regular recharging - a problem with many of the wearable fitness trackers currently on the market.

Theres also a third watch-like hand thatdisplays how many steps you've taken,an analog option for those who dislikeoverlydigital wearables.

Faster walking

Perhaps the most bizarre product at CES are the Rollkers, billed as theworlds first electronic under shoes.

They resemble roller skates, buttheyre not intended for coasting their entire purpose is to double thewearers walking speed to about 11 kilometres an hour.

The current prototypes arebig and bulky, but Rollkers chief executive PaulChavandsays he hopes tohave a streamlined final product by 2016.