CES 2019: Tech to Watch for Development Workers

The Consumer Electronic Show has kicked off in Vegas and, while tech giants like Apple and Facebook keep their 'Next Big Thing' close to their chest and don't exhibit at the event, global brands and start ups are showcasing the tech products and services that they promise will change our lives in the coming year.

Some of these advancements are simple additions to an existing staple, like Sony featuring cup holders on bluetooth speakers, finally! Others are slight improvements on casual frustrations, like this PopSocket and OtterBox collab. The so-called Otter + Pop phone case is indicative of the nature of many products rolled out over the past couple of years: genius solutions for niche gaps in the tech market. The collab is a great step forward for users of the OtterBox or PopSocket but whether this converts non-users remains up in the air.

Acronyms are big business in the tech world with AR, VR and AI being showcased for various entertainment platforms. Integrating devices is also a trend: enabling the devices you already have to perform more tasks, more easily. Some devices are getting smaller, others getting bigger.

But while it is amazing that location services can tell your fridge that you are at the supermarket, prompting a notification that the weight sensor in the fridge has identified you are low on milk (I just assume this is a thing integrated household devices can do), what products have potential to change how we deliver effective, sustainable development projects.

1. Google Assistant Translator for Tourism

This falls in the category of tech that has existed for a while but has been fine-tuned. Google demonstrated a live translation function for Google Assistant at CES 2019. The edge that this translation function has over other translation apps is that it is integrated into a Google device that can deliver much more, making it a seemingly more justifiable purchase than a single-purpose translation device. Those who were there to see the demo and try it out themselves noted some kinks. The accuracy of the translation wasn't flawless and the wait between speaking and translation can stifle a conversation. However, conversation is not the primary application of this function. Rather, Google has identified potential benefits in the hospitality industry, as hotels and restaurants may be able to communicate with guests speaking any language.

It may also be used to translate meetings and negotiations with donors or international organisations, rather than speaking English by default and leaving the local partners at a linguistic disadvantage.

All the European languages are up there, along with major language groups like Mandarin, Arabic and Bahasa. However, less common languages are absent. Dialects are difficult for Google Translate as there are fewer references to draw on and a smaller community to correct inaccuracies. If Google can push for these rarer languages to be included the company can promote tourism in remote communities who want to develop their tourism industry and they can work towards preserving these languages for the future.

2. AR for Medical Procedures

Wearables have improved health monitoring, augmented reality may be the next big step in treatment. Aris MD is developing augmented reality surgical guides: showing diagnostic information alongside the patients body to guide surgical procedures. Another company to watch in this is Whirlpool, showcasing their latest oven at the event.

Here me out on this one. First, congrats to Whirlpool for finding a way to bring augmented reality into making pasta. But teaching people to cook through AR may have valuable medical applications.

If augmented reality can guide an amateur cook through a recipe, it can guide nurses and healthcare workers through basic procedures. Any doctor will tell you that nurses are typically more proficient at basic procedures than most doctors, as they are placing drips and taking blood every hour, if not more often. However, in remote clinics where staffing is limited, this application of AR may be far more effective as a supervising guide than written or video instructions for training purposes as it guides the user through a procedure in real time. This is incredibly valuable for ensuring consistency of procedure across clinics and hospitals that may be geographically isolated.

Wearables are increasingly common but have fewer applications for patients in remote communities as they are inevitably costly to charge. If clinics can commit to charging stations in popular and accessible locations, these devices may take off.

3. Solar Cooking

GoSun promises big things from this solar oven. This could be a game changer for families in Ulaanbataar suffering the effects of living with the most polluted air in the world. Burning coal is the primary contributor to the poor air quality but being a dry country with over 200 sunny days a year solar is a solution that has great potential.

Of course, every man and his horse has been suggesting solar solutions to the air pollution problem in UB and it will take committed, government action to create sustainable change. One challenge with 'solutions' is that they are often thrown around by foreigners who have not lived through a Mongolian winter, or if they have they lived in an apartment. 'Clean' cooking solutions have failed to take off as they are typically not great at cooking mutton, a staple of the average Mongolian diet. If this GoSun oven can cook meat as well as it's ads say, it could make a dint in the reliance on existing ovens in the ger district of UB.

If you want to read about solutions to the pollution issue in the ger district, Ger Hub is the leader in this space. Their projects are a great example of how locally led solutions trump imported 'expertise' every time.

What's not going to catch on in the development sector?

Obviously, the bigger, better TV screens and increasingly integrated smart homes will find themselves in the homes of the well-to-do tech fans out there. Robotics and driverless vehicles are a long way from reality for most consumers. Drones have potential for disaster risk reduction and response if it can identify potential landslides and connect emergency crews, though this is still a little ways out for remote areas. Any apps or services that rely on the internet of things to function effectively may struggle to find their footing as smart phones and internet connectivity are steadily increasing, but are far from ubiquitous, in remote communities.