Ever fancied a hyper-realistic robot friend, a mirror that judges your appearance or a cat tower that purifies the air?
All three technologies were shown off at the the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, alongside halls dominated by artificial intelligence technology and a smattering of holograms and smart appliances.
Some of the innovations will arrive in Australian stores in coming months, while others are not scheduled for a local launch or are still in a conceptual phase.
The technology does provide a glimpse into what could come next in entertainment, health, and lifestyle devices, however, and the big trends to watch for Australians planning a household investment.
French firm Enchanted Tools demonstrated a fox-like robot with an animated, cartoon-like face named Mirokai.
The robot, which stands and moves on a ball at its base, is designed to provide companionship to hospital patients or act as a concierge.
Canadian company Realbotix took a much more human approach to the technology, and showed off a robot named Aria.
Its female-like face is equipped with 17 motors to express emotions using its mouth and eyes, and it uses AI software to respond to questions.
This robotic companion will come at a significant price, however, with the top-of-the-line model costing $US175,000 ($A282,611) and not yet available on two legs.
Cheaper is Yukai Engineering’s tiny robotic cat named Nekojita FuFu - at a price of $US25 ($A40), it will attach to the side of a mug and blow air on its owner's hot tea or coffee.
Google and Samsung have sought to disrupt home entertainment by powering their television screens with artificial intelligence.
The South Korean tech giant promised to add Samsung Vision AI across its QLED and OLED television screens to allow the software to translate subtitles, generate wallpapers and identify places and actors on the screen.
Google will add its Gemini chatbot to future TVs so users can ask it questions or have it search for a show.
LG showed off a transparent display that is designed to all but disappear when turned off.
The LG OLED Signature T is not yet ready for stores, though local executives promise it will launch in Australia during 2025.
Dutch firm Holoconnects went a step further, demonstrating holograms streamed live into a small box display.
Japanese beer company Kirin's latest innovation targets consumers who want to taste more salt in their food without adding extra.
The $200 Electric Salt Spoon, which claimed an innovation award at the show, uses a mild electrical current to magnify the taste of salt and umami in foods, and promises it can boost flavour by 50 per cent.
Withings showed off a conceptual health product: a full-length mirror designed to give users a complete view of their health.
The Omnia mirror is packed with sensors to assess a user’s cardio, respiratory and metabolic health, and displays statistics on its screen.
It can also connect to doctors to track ongoing conditions and features an AI chatbot.
There is no word on when the smart mirror will be ready for launch but Withings president Eric Carreel said it would help users identify subtle health problems before they could become larger ones.
Other entrants in the health gadget space include luxury smart rings from Ultrahuman called Rare that feature gold and platinum exteriors, and the Speediance Gym Monster 2 that uses a large touchscreen and digital resistance to mimic up to 100kg in weights.
Even cats are not immune to the reach of AI in 2025.
Petkit showed off a $1399 smart litter box in Las Vegas that not only empties itself but features an AI-powered camera.
It promises to identify individual cats so the device can provide owners with health reports on each cat’s digestive habits.
LG’s AeroCatTower can also provide health updates on the family feline.
The unreleased device is an air purifier with a round cat bed on top that can weigh the animal that jumps on to it and provide reports on how long it naps there.
