Business Live ME’s Alvin Thomas compiles the top 5 tech toys unveiled at the CES 2021.

From tech inspired by the fight against COVID-19 to cars that can drive themselves, CES 2021 brings to the table a plethora of innovations that could potentially disrupt legacy technologies.

Here are the top 5 tech gadgets and technologies from CES 2021: 

Airthings

A wall-mounted air quality detector, Airthings takes on the role of policing the air around based on various parameters that can increase the risk of transmission of viruses (among several other elements). Airthings won’t necessarily purify the air around you – or for that matter, even the viral load in the air – but will rather put together factors conducive to virus transfer such as temperature, humidity, and the number of people in the room based on CO2 levels. It will then offer readings on how easily the virus could transfer from one person to another. Err on the side of caution as the device only adds another layer of caution than preventing the transmission of the virus.

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Biospectal OptiBP

The convenience of an electronic cuff blood pressure monitor in your smartphone, the Biospectal OptiBP app relies on the smartphone camera and some other trickery to provide you with valid – and accurate – blood pressure readouts. Results provided by the app’s development team have been validated in peer-reviewed studies. The app is expected to receive its regulatory approval in the United States this year but is already in use globally by the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation. The developers state that the app will be compatible with five- to 10-year-old smartphones.

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Sony Airpeak

Adding a touch of sophistication to the drone industry, Sony, with its Airpeak project aims to breathe a whiff of fresh air into the professional photo- and videography industries. While most drones (including market leaders DJI) come with pre-built cameras, Airpeek will give filmmakers the chance to use the brand’s flagship Alpha-series cameras. No further information on the drone has been disclosed.

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GM Cadillac PAV

Among a plethora of pre-concept and concept vehicles this year, General Motors and Cadillac unveiled their PAV – the personal autonomous vehicle. The van takes cues from the Cruise Origin project that was acquired by GM back in 2016. As its name suggests, the vehicle can drive itself and carry seven-odd passengers. The project intends to eat into Uber and Lyft (US-based ride-hailing apps) territories with a more luxurious ride and true Cadillac comfort. Inside, passengers will receive 360-degree party-style seating, hand gesture controlled functions, and mood lighting among a pile of other gimmicks. The vehicle is still far from production, but could very well pave the way for a new future for GM… if it ever makes it past the drawing boards.

Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensor

Fingerprint readers have been around for decades, with smartphones adopting them for security purposes some eight years ago. While these security devices have taken various shapes and forms (appearing on home buttons and on back panels), smartphones have begun concealing these sensors under the screen. The latter sensors have long been a hit-or-miss due to their rather obscure nature, sensor size, and accuracy. But chipmaker Qualcomm has come up with a solution – a sensor that’s 77 per cent larger than before and 50 per cent faster second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor. All of this results in a sensor that can collect 1.7 times more biometric data from your fingertips.