INTERNET – From COVID-19 home tests to a variety of technology-infused face masks, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the landscape of this year’s Consumer Electronics Conference.
CES, one of the biggest tech events of the year, would usually draw thousands to Las Vegas, but the pandemic forced online operations with its first 100% virtual conference hosted this week.
The pandemic not only changed the way the conference was held, but also influenced the exhibitors to create and present the technology created to treat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s a look at some of the products designed for this year’s pandemic at CES 2021.
Bluetooth face mask
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended wearing a mask to limit the spread of the new coronavirus last spring, it has become a part of everyday life.
But many have noticed since then that there can be some annoying parts to covering the face, such as talking on the phone, which becomes a problem because the sounds can be muffled under the mask.
Enter MaskFone, a face cover with built-in Bluetooth headset that lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge.
The fabric mask is washable (remove the headphones first) and can fit a filter.
It comes in several sizes, and prices start at about $ 50.
Automatic temperature scanner
In the COVID-19 era, temperature checking became a standard practice. Usually, a person takes each person’s temperature before they are allowed to enter a business or event. The creators of GateDoc, a touch-free, automated temperature scanner, wanted to streamline the process so that they could design a machine that scans a person’s temperature before allowing them to enter a business or event.
The machine will recognize when a person approaches it and measures body temperature through the forehead so that it can be used with or without a face mask. The temperature scan is completed in 0.05 seconds.
If a person’s temperature reaches the threshold, he is allowed to enter; if not, the device will beep and alert the manager through an application.
A more expensive version of the car also comes with a touch-free hand sanitizer dispenser.
Prices start at about 300 euros or about 365 dollars.
Portable detection sticker COVID-19
BioButton, a health monitoring sticker created by BioIntelliSense, sticks to a person’s chest and can examine a person for COVID-19 months in a row.
The single-use, coin-sized technology is designed to track the user’s vital signs – such as resting heart rate, respiratory rate and skin temperature – with medical precision. The sticker can monitor a person for 90 days through an application that sends readings via Bluetooth.
The button can collect data and use it to determine if a person may have symptoms of a possible coronavirus infection.
The technology is used by UCHealth in Colorado to monitor health care workers who have received COVID-19 vaccines, and BioIntelliSense recently announced its collaboration with the American College of Cardiology. In May, the College of Cardiology will allow participants in its conference to try BioButton.
The sticker is not available for individual purchases, but organizations can apply online to purchase the buttons.
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Lauren Bennett