The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced its CES 2021 Innovation Awards honorees, marking the first time its winners will be recognized in an online-only format.
The annual awards are normally announced about this time of year, and then the winners are hosted at a media reception in Las Vegas at CES. But this year, the big tech trade show will happen virtually. The honorees represent 28 product categories, and they signify outstanding products, upcoming trends, and how tech companies are changing life for the better. I would typically attend that reception and interact with the tech.
The first-ever all-digital CES 2021 will take place online from January 11 to January 14. Audiences from around the world will be able to participate — many of them for the first time. The CTA will do its best to get people excited in their own homes as exhibitors host live demonstrations. It will be a test for whether online trade shows are worth it.
The CES 2021 Innovation Awards received more than 1,200 submissions and those designated as honorees, including product descriptions and photos, can be found at CES.tech/innovation. A panel of industry expert judges — including members of the media, designers, engineers, and more — reviewed submissions based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetic, and design. I haven’t seen the full description of these products or what they look like, but some of the descriptions from Sony, Samsung, and others are pretty exciting. It gives me a good feeling that, despite the pandemic, the march of tech isn’t halting.
The full list of Best of Innovation and all honorees will be revealed during CES 2021, on January 11, 2021. Registration is now open. Best of Innovation honorees include the following:
In-vehicle entertainment and safety
1st Mate Marine Safety and Security System, Brunswick
Computer hardware and components
AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors, Advanced Micro Devices
Wearable technologies
BioButton medical grade device and data services, BioIntelliSense
Smart cities
EES (Electromagnetic Engineered Surfaces), E2IP Technologies
Health and wellness
Epsy, Epsy
Headphones and personal audio
Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition, Samsung Electronics
Mobile devices and accessories
Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G/Galaxy Note20 5G, Samsung Electronics
Vehicle intelligence and transportation
IBM and The Mayflower Autonomous Ship and The AI Captain, IBM
Streaming
Imverse Live3D rendering engine and volumetric holograms, Imverse
Robotics
John Deere X-Series Combine, John Deere
Computer peripherals and accessories
Lumi Keys 1, Roli
Accessibility
OrCam Read, OrCam Technologies
Software and mobile apps
Origin Health — remote patient monitoring, Origin Wireless
Home appliances
P-Next3 InstaView Door-in-Door with Voice Recognition, LG Electronics
Computer hardware and components
Spatial Reality Display, Sony Electronics
Vehicle intelligence and transportation
The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver, Waymo
Home appliances
U by Moen Smart Faucet, Moen
Digital imaging/photography
Vespera, Vaonis
Health and wellness
VROR Eye DR, M2S