Robot ElliQ named CES 2018 best of innovation winner in the smart home category

ElliQ, an AI driven social robot for older adults, has been named CES 2018 Best of Innovation Winner in the Smart Home category; while window-cleaning robot Cordless WINBOT X has been announced the CES Innovation Award Honoree.

ElliQ encourages older adults to keep active and engaged while helping to overcome the digital divide and keeping families closer together, says it creator Intuition Robotics.

Using the latest in machine learning to create a personalized experience, ElliQ learns the user’s tastes, preferences and habits to make proactive suggestions for consuming appealing digital content (such as music or videos) or engaging in physical activities (such as going for a walk or reminders of medications and appointments).

In addition, ElliQ uses “natural communication” to convey emotion through body language, sounds, lights, images and speech interface, Intuition Robotics says.

Meanwhile, window-cleaning robot Cordless WINBOT X has been announced the CES Innovation Award Honoree winner.

While the original WINBOT offered a brand new window-cleaning experience in 2011, the latest iteration WINBOT X moves freely along windows as it cleans, rather than being limited by the robot’s proximity to a power source, says its creator Ecovacs Robotics.

Additionally, the newest generation of WINBOT boasts four new safety features, allowing the WINBOT to adapt to window, and move intelligently and safely.

“The robot is able to move freely across the surface it is cleaning, regardless of whether or not the window has a frame,” said David Qian, President of the International Business Unit at Ecovacs Robotics.

Cleaning robot’s growth potential

The cleaning robot market size is forecast to reach US$4.34 billion by 2023 from $2.09 billion in 2018, growing 16.21 percent annually, according to a research by ReportsnReports. The demand is driven by penetration of automation in household appliances, rise in labor cost and increasing safety concern.

The floor-cleaning robot is expected to hold the largest share by 2023. Household demand is the main driver for this product.

Key players in this market are increasingly undertaking the strategies of partnerships and collaborations, and product developments and launches to develop and introduce new technologies and products to the market.

The cleaning robot market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. Rise in disposable income in this region has led to the adoption of cleaning robots. The increasing adoption of cleaning robots and the influx of global players, along with the emergence of native players, are helping the market to grow.