CES 2025: Health tech takes center stage
CES was held in Las Vegas last week and serves as a platform for companies to unveil new products, technologies, and ideas, attracting manufacturers, developers, suppliers, and industry leaders from around the world.
This year’s event showcased everything from a smart bird feeder equipped with a camera to capture high-quality images of hummingbirds to a robotic cat designed to cool down hot beverages or soups by blowing air in human-like intervals.
But what about new health tech?
Health was a major focus for several tech companies at CES 2025, so let's explore some of the most noteworthy innovations that caught my attention this year.
🎧 Mind-reading music: The headphones that monitor your mental health: Meet the MW75 Neuro from Neurable, a device that takes headphones to the next level. These innovative headphones don't just deliver music - they monitor your brain's well-being using Neurable's brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. With EEG sensors discreetly built into the ear pads, you can track your focus levels and cognitive health through a simple app. When you're hitting that afternoon slump, the MW75 Neuro will suggest taking a break to help prevent burnout.
Not only do these headphones monitor your brain, but they also deliver exceptional audio quality. The MW75 Neuro seamlessly integrates neurotechnology into an everyday device, making mental well-being monitoring effortless.
🦮 Digital companionship: The robot dog fighting dementia: When Tom Stevens' mother was diagnosed with dementia, he faced the heartbreaking decision to take away her dog since she could no longer care for it. After trying alternatives like stuffed animals and dolls - which his mother rejected - he created Jennie, a robotic emotional support dog.
Designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Jennie appears more lifelike than typical robotic dogs. The device features sophisticated sensors that enable it to respond to touch - wagging its tail and letting out endearing barks when petted. Research has shown that interacting with companion animals can reduce stress and lower blood pressure, potentially helping to reduce symptoms associated with dementia.
TomBot will launch its consumer version this year for $1,500, and I wouldn’t say no to one of these cute creatures!
Image from TomBot
🌡️ Hormones made simple: Your health monitor in a smartphone: Eli Health's Hormometer, which won the Best of Innovation Award in Digital Health at CES 2025, transforms hormone monitoring through smartphone technology.
The process is remarkably simple: users place a slim cartridge in their mouth for 60 seconds to collect saliva. The sample then interacts with a bioassay, creating visible test lines within 20 minutes. Using AI algorithms, the Eli app analyzes these results through your smartphone's camera with impressive accuracy - 97% for cortisol (the stress hormone affecting metabolism and immune function) and 94% for progesterone (crucial for women's reproductive health) when compared to FDA-approved lab tests.
The Hormometer will launch in January 2025 in the USA and Canada. Subscription plans start at $8 per test and require a 12-month commitment.
🔬 The future of skincare: L'Oréal's five-minute skin analysis: L'Oréal’s new Cell BioPrint is a revolutionary skin analysis tool that provides detailed skin assessment in just five minutes.
The tabletop device can determine three key aspects of skin health: biological skin age, responsiveness to specific ingredients like retinol, and potential future cosmetic issues before they become visible. This allows for more proactive rather than reactive skincare approaches.
The technology works through a simple process: a facial tape strip is applied to the cheek, placed in a buffer solution, and analyzed using the device's microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology. The analysis is complemented by facial imaging and a questionnaire about skin concerns.
L'Oréal plans to pilot the Cell BioPrint in Asia later in 2025.
Image from ReadWrite
🪞 Mirror, mirror: Withings' all-in-one health station: Withings’ Omnia is a futuristic full-length smart mirror designed to revolutionize home health monitoring. The concept addresses a common challenge - the inconvenience of regular doctor visits - by offering comprehensive 360-degree health screenings from home.
The Omnia combines a full-length mirror with an integrated scale to measure various health metrics, including ECG, heart rate, vitamin levels, muscle-to-fat ratio, weight trends, sleep quality, and activity tracking. The interactive system features both touch controls and a voice assistant interface that can communicate health insights directly to users. It could also serve as a telemedicine portal, allowing healthcare professionals to access user health data and provide remote consultations.
However, the Omnia is currently just a concept and may never become a real product, primarily due to potential cost concerns for consumers. While the complete mirror system remains in development pending clinical reviews and AI feature additions, Withings plans to release some of these features through its app later in 2025.
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