AI, robots, and drones stole the limelight at IFA in Berlin, Europe’s biggest tech fair.
Held every year in the German capital, IFA, short for Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, is a mammoth event. Last year, organisers counted more than 1,800 exhibitors and over 215,000 visitors from 138 countries.
This year’s show is brimming with drones, robots and AI-powered white appliances, focusing on smart technology, smooth interaction and energy efficiency.
Among the most eye-catching high-tech gadgets are AI-powered cooking machines.
German appliance giant Siemens unveiled a smart oven that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and a built-in camera to pick the perfect cooking settings.
“The truly ingenious thing about it is that you simply open the oven, put the dish inside, and don't have to worry about anything else,” said Ulrike Pesta, Head of Siemens Kitchen Retail.
“All you have to do is give your okay," Pesta added.
Chinese brand Wan AIChef has gone one step further, with a countertop chef that scans your ingredients, suggests a dish, and does the cooking for you.
The senior marketing director of the company puts a bowl of raw prawns in. Soon after, delicious-looking garlic butter shrimp came out, all at the touch of a button.
Wearable tech is also turning heads at the fair.
Chinese AI glass maker Rokid says its glasses combine AI with augmented reality (AR) in a single lightweight device, making the glasses “the world’s first” of their kind.
“Currently, you can see there's a lot of AI glasses or AR glasses on the market, but they either have no display or they have no camera, so Rokid is the first all-in-one, lightweight AI and AR glasses," said Liang Guan, Rokid’s US General Manager.
The company says the glasses can overlay maps, captions and real-time translations directly onto the lenses, while the camera records what the wearer sees for hands-free video using voice recognition.
Korean conglomerate LG is also showcasing a smart camper van, with screens, fridges, and cooking surfaces all controlled by its AI dubbed ThinQ.
The system links up with home appliances too, adjusting the energy use of the refrigerator, sending reminders to clean the washing machine, and even reporting the car’s battery level.
Some tech companies are pulling straight at the heartstrings. Singapore-based SyBran Code 27 is offering digital companions designed to chat, emote, and remember conversations.
Users can customise characters, voices, and personalities, or even create their own virtual friend.
"You can interact, have multiple interactions with the character you want, from anime, from manga or even create your own character,” Zheng Hou, Co-founder of SyBran, said.
IFA’s organisers say it’s evolving with trends.
"Longevity and, of course, AI, sustainability are topics that are coming up more and more,” said Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA
“We are more flexible in looking at what will be important in the future and therefore, our claim this year is 'imagine a future',” Lindner said.
Organisers hope to make IFA more than a tech show.
“It must be a cultural moment, an event that is visible in the whole city of Berlin and not only during the show,” Lindner said.
“We are adding a lot of cultural things like the Sommergarten and big stages for diverse entertainment. That is important for IFA as well".
IFA is running between September 5 and 9 this year.
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