LAS VEGAS, Nev. – By Min Kyeong-joong/Korea Biomedical Review correspondent -- The world’s largest consumer electronics show CES 2023 kicked off with CES Unveiled, a preview of key products open exclusively for over 4,700 media outlets, late Tuesday in Las Vegas, the U.S.

Unlike in 2022 when some exhibitors participated online only, CES 2023 was “perfectly normalized” with 3,200 companies and institutions exhibiting their latest technology on-site from 174 countries. 

Healthcare, in particular, is one of the key themes at CES 2023. 

Dr. Susan Turney, CEO of Marshfield Clinic Health System, and Dr. Vidya Raman-Tangella, Chief Medical Officer of Teladoc, will deliver keynote speeches on Wednesday. 

They are expected to unveil a new hybrid model for the future of healthcare so that participants will be able to experience more active telemedicine and medical technology, spurred by the pandemic, at the event scene. 

Web 3.0-based healthcare and VR medical training will be another key topic in digital health. CTA, the organizer of CES, plans to showcase the future of the emergency room (ER) in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). 

Abbott, a multinational diagnostics company, built the largest booth in the digital healthcare exhibit section. The company said it would hold a session, “the Future of Sports Health Technology,” on Wednesday. 

Moderna, the manufacturer of the Covid-19 vaccine, will present “Digital Healthcare Studio,” together with ACEP. In this studio, CMOs of digital healthcare companies including Teladoc and Biofourmis will share their experiences of self-health checkups and telemedicine.

Innovative wearables seen at CES 2023

CES used to be considered a trade show for home appliances and IT companies only.

However, the explosive growth in interest in personal health in the wake of the pandemic has led healthcare to become a new key category for CES. 

In this vein, wearables are drawing heated attention.

German Bionic’s Cray X exoskeleton attracted the most attention at CES Unveiled, showing core “Exoskeleton” technology that enables humans to have superpowers with smart suits. 

Cray X exoskeleton is a fully connected powered exoskeleton wearable device for use in industrial environments such as logistics delivery and construction. It provides up to 30 kg of support when lifting to prevent labor fatigue and supports walking assistance to protect the back. The device won CES 2023 Best of Innovation Award. 

Humanoid robots are becoming the core of the next-generation wearable market in line with all technological environments, such as the development of battery technology, the emergence of low-power and low-heat chips, and the application of 5G.

Archelis, a start-up based in Yokohama, Japan, also introduced wearables that allow surgeons and factory workers who have to stand for a long time to work without straining their legs and back.

Korean companies lead sleep tech

Korean startups boasted about sleep technologies to address insomnia or snoring. 

Asleep, which has been attracting attention for two consecutive years at CES, showed their AI technology that diagnoses sleep stages through breathing sounds. 

Sleep stages can be measured in any environment with a device equipped with a microphone, such as a smartphone, smart TV, or speakers. It is convenient in that it can measure the customer's sleep state without wearing a separate device.

LG Electronics, which signed an MOU with Asleep for research cooperation, plans to develop smart home appliances including an air conditioner that can control room temperatures based on sleep data.

10minds developed a pillow to prevent snoring during sleep and the product won CES Innovation Award for the third consecutive year. 

The Motion Pillow analyzes the sound of breath during sleep, and when the user snores, the pillow moves the head to a position to secure the airways and reduce snoring. 

Alex Jeong, CEO of 10minds, said, "If you use it for a week after purchasing it, it learns on its own and distinguishes the user's snoring sound from external noise."

BRLab, a Korean startup, is to unveil its sleep solution platform, Zable, at CES 2023. Zable monitors the status of the user’s sleep through sensors on the mattress. 

When a user lies down on a bed without attaching any specific device to the body, the sensors attached to the mattress precisely analyze the user's sleep data and provide a solution to reduce sleep apnea and insomnia.

The writer is the director of KBR Meta-Health Lab. He is also a visiting professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and a director at JP Law Firm. – Ed.